Presence of aflatoxins B and G and ochratoxin A in artisanal dried fruit ice cream produced in the province of Messina, Italy.

Abstract

This study aims to investigate and identify the presence of aflatoxins B and G, as well as ochratoxin A, in pistachio and hazelnut ice cream samples produced at the artisanal level in the province of Messina, Italy. This research is motivated by concerns regarding the sourcing of raw materials and ingredients, such as pure nut paste, used in artisanal ice cream production. It is hypothesized that these ingredients may contain higher levels of contaminants compared to those used at the industrial production level, where the control over raw materials is generally more stringent. Considering that approximately 10% pure paste is used in the preparation of artisanal ice cream, the concentrations of pure pistachio and hazelnut pastes were calculated by adjusting the results obtained from the analysis of the ice cream for a dilution factor of 1:10. According to Regulation (EU) No. 2023/915, 36% of both pistachio and hazelnut pure pastes were found potentially to be non-compliant with aflatoxins and ochratoxin A. The results substantiate the hypothesis regarding the critical importance of sourcing pure nuts at the artisanal level. They underscore the necessity of supplier validation within this production segment, indicating that ice cream can also pose a risk of consumer exposure to aflatoxins and ochratoxin A.