Samples of dried figs and fig pastes from Turkey supplied voluntarily by UK importers and retailers during the period November 1988 to January 1989 showed both a high incidence and high levels of contamination with aflatoxins. In the samples tested, 24% had total aflatoxin concentrations above 10 micrograms/kg, with the highest level being 165 micrograms/kg. More rigorous monitoring of the 1989 fig harvest was undertaken on bulk consignments for all figs from Turkey entering the UK. For whole dried figs 20 kg samples were taken (as 20 sub-samples), and for fig paste 5 kg samples were taken (again as 20 sub-samples). Figs were minced, blended with water and mixed prior to sub-sampling for analysis. Analysis was by immunoaffinity column clean-up with HPLC determination of aflatoxins with fluorescence detection. Examination showed that 11% of 112 consignments of fig paste and 9% of 93 consignments of whole dried figs were contaminated with total alfatoxin concentrations above 10 micrograms/kg, with the highest level of contamination being 40 micrograms/kg. As a result of this surveillance programme 14 consignments of figs were refused entry into the United Kingdom.

By a combination of carboxymethylcellulose ion-exchange chromatography and gel-filtration a, B and y-gliadin proteins have been isolated in quantities large enough to be suitable for clinical feeding and baking tests. A pure o-gliadin has been obtained by the use of ion-exchange chromatography alone.

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Twenty three UK commercially produced ammonia caramels and eight experimentally produced ammonia caramels have been analysed by a range of physical and chemical tests, which include solids content, nitrogen levels, colour intensity and pH. A statistical treatment of the results is reported.