Current situation of patulin contamination in apple juice and its risk in Japan

抄録

Patulin contamination in apple-based products in Japan was surveyed, and the risk of patulin in Japan was estimated. A total of 252 samples of apple-based products, collected from market or juice plants in Japan during the years 1996 to 2001, were examined for patulin with the method of analysis using GC/MS; the recovery was 101 %, and limit of confirmation was 5μg/kg. Patulin was detected in 15.6 % of commercial apple juices in the range of 5 to 42μg/kg. No commercially available apple juice contained more than 50μg/kg of patulin, the proposed future regulatory limit in Japan. In 81 % of apple juice concentrates, patulin was detected in the range of 5 to 670μg/kg. The daily intake of patulin for mean of all population in Japan is quite below the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) indicated by JECFA, 0.4μg/kg body weight/day. The risk of patulin is considered to be negligible in Japan.