In order to rule out bacterial contamination and mold toxin infestation, consumer advocates subjected commercially dried figs to careful quality control. Eleven products ended up in the shopping cart, both from conventional and organic farming. The samples were priced between 80 cents and 2.50 euros per 100 grams. The majority stated that the country of origin was Türkiye.
Dried figs often contaminated with mold toxins
In around two thirds of the samples, tenuazonic acid levels were found to be exceeded. This is a mold toxin that is mainly produced by black fungi of the genus Alternaria. Alternaria toxins are considered a concern. However, a concrete risk assessment for consumers is not possible due to the current lack of data.
For the same reason, there are no legally binding maximum levels for food. In the spirit of so-called legitimate consumer expectations, the content of these mold toxins should be as low as technically possible. In addition, according to an EU recommendation, food manufacturers are required to determine the causes if the guidelines are exceeded.
Download the article
2 Products not suitable for human consumption
However, the assessment of aflatoxins is much stricter: This type of mold toxin has a liver-toxic, carcinogenic and genetically damaging effect. One of the products tested contained almost 80 times the legally prescribed maximum level of aflatoxin and was therefore considered unsuitable for human consumption, according to the Chamber of Labor.
Another package of figs in the test did not show any mold problems, but exceeded the warning level for presumptive Bacillus cereus set by the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology. Since high levels of these bacteria can potentially lead to nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, this sample was also considered unacceptable for human consumption.
Two products, from GM Pesendorfer and Seebergerhowever, were considered terrific evaluated. They were convincing both in terms of taste and their analytical test results.
‘,’pinpoll-289833’, null, null, ‘C0004’);
});
Mold toxins (mycotoxins) are metabolic products that can be produced by various types of mold. Even small amounts of certain mycotoxins can have negative effects on the health of humans and animals. They cannot be seen or tasted. Their detection is only possible using complex analytical methods in the laboratory. What fans of dried figs should note:
