Natural occurrence of fumonisin B1 in dried figs as an unexpected hazard

Occurrence of fumonisin B1 (FB1) in dried figs was determined using liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection after extraction with methanol–water and clean-up. One hundred and fifty five dried fig samples were taken while the figs were drying in 7 different districts in the Aegean Region in 2003 and 2004. ntamination were determined in 86 of 115 samples at detectable levels. Average FB1 level was 0.369 and 0.466 in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Overall mean for FB1 was calculated as 0.315 μg/g; overall median was 0.080 μg/g. 1 content of positive samples ranged from 0.046 and 3.649 μg/g, while only 9.6% of the samples contained FB1 above 1 μg/g. FB1 contamination in the dried fig samples in 2004 (79.6%) was higher than in 2003 (71.8%). Selcuk (0.565 μg/g) was ranked first among means; however the highest incidences of FB1 contamination was determined in dried figs from Incirliova (84.6%). This is the first report of occurrence of FB1 in dried figs.