Occurrence of patulin in fruit and vegetables.

In different varieties of apples and pears suffering from brown rot, patulin was found in about 50 p. 100 of samples investigated (about 120). Patulin levels as high as 1 g/kg rotten material were found 2-3 days after the fruit was removed from the cold store where it had been stored for 5 months. A significant diffusion into the healthy plant tissue was not observed in apples, but in peaches, tomatoes and pears. Vegetable products with natural patulin content: apples, pears, peaches, apricots, bananas, pine apples, grapes. After inoculation with Penicillium expansum, P. urticae or Byssochlamys nivea, patulin was also found in greengages, strawberries, honeydew melons, red and green paprika, tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots. The artificial infection failed in celeriac, kohlrabi, cauliflower, red cabbage, radish, horseradish, onions, squash (zuccini), potatoes and egg plants. The author further investigated the patulin synthesis as a function of the temperature as well as its oxygen requirement in various mold species and strains.