AFLATOXIN B-1 IN COMMON EGYPTIAN FOODS

Samples of common Egyptian foods (17 nuts and seeds, 10 spices, 31 her bs and medicinal plants, 12 dried vegetables, and 28 cereal grains) we re collected from markets in Cairo and Giza, A portion of each sample was extracted with chloroform, and the concentrated extract was cleane d by passing through a silica gel column. Aflatoxin B-1 was determined by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with UV detection. The highes t prevalence of aflatoxin B-1 was in nuts and seeds (82%), followed by spices (40%), herbs and medicinal plants (29%), dried vegetables (25% ), and cereal grains (21%), The highest mean concentration of aflatoxi n B-1 was in herb and medicinal plants (49 ppb), followed by cereals ( 36 ppb), spices (25 ppb), nuts and seeds (24 ppb), and dried vegetable s (20 ppb), Among nuts and seeds, the prevalence of aflatoxin B-1 was highest (100%) in watermelon seeds, in-shell peanuts, and unshelled pe anuts. The lowest prevalence and concentrations were in hommos (garban zo beans), The highest concentrations of aflatoxin B-1 were detected i n foods that had no potential for field contamination but required dry ing during processing and storage, such as pomegranate peel, watermelo n seeds, and molokhia.