Determination of Aflatoxin B1 levels in powdered red pepper

Insufficient hygiene conditions during drying, transport and storage stages in the production of red pepper could cause microbiological and mycological growth which could result in the formation of mycotoxins. This study was designed to assess the aflatoxin B1 levels in 100 samples of powdered red pepper randomly obtained from markets in Istanbul using microtitre plate Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Aflatoxin B1 levels were below the minimum detection limit (0.025 μg/kg) in 32 samples, between 0.025 and 5 μg/kg in 50 samples, whilst 18 samples had unacceptable contamination levels higher than the maximum tolerable limit (5 μg/kg), according to the Turkish Food Codex and the European Commission.