Modification of an office scanner for the determination of aflatoxins after TLC separation

A computer-driven office scanner has been modified to enable measurement of the fluorescence of aflatoxins on thin-layer chromatography (TLC) plates. The main modifications were substitution of the Light tube with a black lig ht tube and inclusion of a filter, The strategy behind this modification, a nd its problems, are discussed. The modified scanner can be used to determi ne aflatoxins at low nanogram levels, which, when used in combination with an appropriate TLC method, enables monitoring of the compounds in food and feed at the levels stipulated in European legislation.