SURVEY OF PATULIN IN APPLE JUICE AND CHILDRENS APPLE FOOD BY THE DIPHASIC DIALYSIS MEMBRANE PROCEDURE

A survey of patulin in 100 samples of commercial apple juice and 12 sa mples of apple food for children collected at stores in Madrid (Spain) during 1992 was conducted. Patulin levels were determined by a dialys is diphasic membrane procedure using reversed-phase high-pressure liqu id chromatography as analytical method. The results obtained in apple juice were as follows: patulin was detected in 82% of samples; 75% of the analyzed apple juice contained less than: 10 mu g/L, and the maxim um concentration found was 170 mu g/L; children's apple food samples w ere fi ee of patulin. It is suggested that patulin should be used as a quality indicator of the apples employed in the elaboration of food a nd drink.