Abstract

In this study, incidence of total aflatoxins (AFs: B1, B2, G1 and G2) was determined in some agricultural commodities such as cereals and beans. Samples of cereals/beans (n=160) were analyzed for the detection of total AFs by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The contamination level (%) of total AFs was observed as in; rice (25%), rice broken (15%), wheat (20%), maize (40%) barley (20%) and sorghum (30%), while in red kidney beans (2 %), split peas (27%), chick pea (10%), cow pea (20%), and soybean (15%). Two rice, one rice broken, two wheat, three maize, two barley, one sorghum, one red kidney bean, one split pea and two soybeans showed concentration higher than the limit for total aflatoxins (4 µg/kg), according to European Union standards.

Key words: Aflatoxins, contamination, cereals, beans, HPLC.