Patulin is a mycotoxin produced primarily by Penicillium expansum, a mold responsible for rot in apples and other fruits. The growth of this fungus and the production of patulin are common in fruit that has been damaged. However, patulin can be detected in visibly sound fruit. The purpose of this project was to determine how apple quality, storage, and washing treatments affect patulin levels in apple cider. Patulin was not detected in cider pressed from fresh tree-picked apples (seven cultivars) but was found at levels of 40.2 to 374 μg/liter in cider pressed from four cultivars of fresh ground-harvested (dropped) apples. Patulin was not detected in cider pressed from culled tree-picked apples stored for 4 to 6 weeks at 0 to 2°C but was found at levels of 0.97 to 64.0 μg/liter in cider pressed from unculled fruit stored under the same conditions. Cider from controlled-atmosphere-stored apples that were culled before pressing contained 0 to 15.1 μg of patulin per liter, while cider made from unculled fruit contained 59.9 to 120.5 μg of patulin per liter. The washing of ground-harvested apples before pressing reduced patulin levels in cider by 10 to 100%, depending on the initial patulin levels and the type of wash solution used. These results indicate that patulin is a good indicator of the quality of the apples used to manufacture cider. The avoidance of ground-harvested apples and the careful culling of apples before pressing are good methods for reducing patulin levels in cider.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
April 01 2003
Apple Quality, Storage, and Washing Treatments Affect Patulin Levels in Apple Cider
LAUREN S. JACKSON;
LAUREN S. JACKSON
*
1National Center for Food Safety and Technology, Food and Drug Administration, 6502 South Archer Road, Summit-Argo, Illinois 60501
*Author for correspondence. Tel: 708-728-4162; Fax: 708-728-4177; E-mail: lauren.jackson@cfsan.fda.gov.
Search for other works by this author on:
TINA BEACHAM-BOWDEN;
TINA BEACHAM-BOWDEN
2National Center for Food Safety and Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Summit-Argo, Illinois 60501
Search for other works by this author on:
SUSANNE E. KELLER;
SUSANNE E. KELLER
1National Center for Food Safety and Technology, Food and Drug Administration, 6502 South Archer Road, Summit-Argo, Illinois 60501
Search for other works by this author on:
CHAITALI ADHIKARI;
CHAITALI ADHIKARI
2National Center for Food Safety and Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Summit-Argo, Illinois 60501
Search for other works by this author on:
KIRK T. TAYLOR;
KIRK T. TAYLOR
3El Dorado County Department of Agriculture, 311 Fair Lane, Placerville, California 95667
Search for other works by this author on:
STEWART J. CHIRTEL;
STEWART J. CHIRTEL
4Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
ROBERT I. MERKER
ROBERT I. MERKER
4Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
J Food Prot (2003) 66 (4): 618–624.
Article history
Received:
June 20 2002
Accepted:
October 18 2002
Citation
LAUREN S. JACKSON, TINA BEACHAM-BOWDEN, SUSANNE E. KELLER, CHAITALI ADHIKARI, KIRK T. TAYLOR, STEWART J. CHIRTEL, ROBERT I. MERKER; Apple Quality, Storage, and Washing Treatments Affect Patulin Levels in Apple Cider. J Food Prot 1 April 2003; 66 (4): 618–624. doi: https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X-66.4.618
Download citation file: