Patulin Mycotoxin  THIS PAGE IS BEING CREATED

Patulin has also be identified as other names such as clavacin, claviformin, expansin, mycoin c and penicidin.

The blue mold found in soft rot of apples, pears, cherries and other fruits is recognized as one of the most common causes of patulin contamination.

Where you might come in contact with Patulin

This mycotoxin is found in low acid fruit juices such as apple, grape, pear and fruit including, apple, grapes, cherries, pears, peaches, apricots, as well as olives and cereals. It is not found in intact fruit. It infects fruit that has had damage to the surface of the fruit. This makes it vulnerable to Penicillium infection that produces patulin.

Patulin is toxic to both plants and animals. It is thought to have genotoxicity but is not thought to cause cancer.

Patulin is regulated by many countries and the allowable limits run from 5 micrograms/kilogram to 100 microgram/kilogram. It is regulated in fruit products and the European Union has it's lowest limits on baby food prodcuts which is 10 mcgram/kilogram.

Methods to destroy Patulin: Filtration of apple juice has been shown to reduce it up to 40%. Fermentation of apple juice to apple cider helps destroy it. Some researchers claim it does not survive fermentation in cider products. 0.125% sulfur dioxide destroys it completely. Some researchers report it to be heat stable while others have reported 25% of it to be destroyed by pasteurization or evaporation temperatures of 70-100 centigrade.