Aflatoxin and Ochratoxin - a contamination of dried figs (Ficus carina L) from the 1988 crop.

The study examines the occurrence of aflatoxin and ochratoxin A in the !988 dried figs crop. Mycotoxin content, moisture, and aw (water activity) were analyzed in a total of 103 fig samples collected from various orchards and different stages of fig processing. Aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) were present in 29% of the samples examined at 0.5-63.0, 0.5-37.7, 0.5-78.3, and 0.5-12.5μ/kg, respectively. Ochratoxin A was detected in only 3% of the samples at 5.2-8.3 μ/kg. The moisture (and aw) values of the fruits were found suitable for mycotoxin formation in firm ripened and shrivelled figs.