Abstract
Aflatoxin(s) (AFTs) are secondary metabolites of some Aspergillus molds commonly found in peanuts. This study aimed to reduce AFTs (B1 and B2) on contaminated peanuts (with and without skin) using Pulsed Light (PL) treatment for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 min at 5 cm distance from the light strobe. After PL treatment, AFT levels were determined using ELISA and LC-MS-MS. Quality parameters of treated peanuts and oil were evaluated by comparing to control samples. Results of with-skin and without-skin peanuts showed 82% and 91% AFTs reduction, respectively. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed for all peanut oil quality parameters while the differences in peanut kernel colour under these conditions were significant (P < 0.05) in comparison with control samples. At the industrial level, PL may offer an effective AFTs reduction in peanuts. However, PL treatment parameters should be optimised to achieve better appearance.