Patulin contamination in fruit derivatives, including baby food, from the Spanish market

The aim of this study was to provide a current overview on patulin (PAT) contamination of apple products in Spain. A second aim was to provide some data on the effect of processing stages of fruit juice concentrates on patulin levels. None of the analysed samples contained PAT concentrations exceeding the maximum levels fixed by the EU. Pear and apple concentrates showed the highest levels (up to 126 μg/kg). After milling, patulin levels did not exhibit important differences, except for at the concentration stage where a greater than fourfold mean increase was recorded. Moreover, a decrease was observed in those fruit juices that were decolourised after ultrafiltration. Thus, patulin presence in fruit products might not pose a health risk for the average consumer, although studies on patulin intake by populations consuming high amounts of fruit derivatives might be of importance.