Efficacy of Electronic Color Sorting and Hand Picking to Remove Aflatoxin Contaminated Kernels from Commercial Lots of Shelled Peanuts1

Abstract

Samples (200-lb) from 40 commercial lots of shelled peanuts which contained an average concentration of 48 parts-per-billion aflatoxin were sorted with an electronic color sorter 3 to 5 times and then hand picked in an attempt to remove discolored kernels which usually contain higher concentrations of aflatoxin than other kernels. Prediction equations indicated that cumulative removal of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 % of the kernels from each sample by electronic sorting would remove an average of 16, 28, 37, 45 and 51 % of the aflatoxin, respectively. Electronic sorting became less selective for aflatoxin-contaminated kernels during each additional sorting operation. Careful hand picking for discoloration was far more selective for aflatoxin-contaminated kernels than electronic color sorting. An average 72 % of the aflatoxin was in kernels that were removed by electronic sorting and subsequent hand picking. The efficacy of aflatoxin removal with electronic sorting was highly variable among lots. This variability indicates that each lot should be pretested to determine if aflatoxin can be effectively removed before the expense of electronic color sorting is incurred.

Comparison of Fluorescence Sorting and Color Sorting for the Removal of Aflatoxin from Large Groups of Peanuts

“…The color sorting results were also consistent with results reported by other researchers (2,5,18,49). Generalizing the results of this study to the problem of aflatoxin control in peanuts introduces yet another potential source of sampling error.…”

Effectiveness of hand sorting, flotation/washing, dehulling and combinations thereof on the decontamination of mycotoxin-contaminated white maize

“…However, hand sorting has been optimised only for high-value crops and is being used successfully by exporters from the developing world taking advantage of the availability of relatively cheap labour (Galvez et al 2002(Galvez et al , 2003Derlagen & Phiri 2012). In fact previous research conducted in the 1970-90s demonstrated the supremacy of hand sorting over electronic colour sorting technology in reducing aflatoxin levels in peanut and almonds (Dickens & Whitaker 1975;Schade et al 1975;Pelletier & Reizner 1992). In spite of the legendary history of hand sorting and its successes in mycotoxin management in export commodities the technology remains underutilised in the management of mycotoxins in subsistent food commodities.…”

Decontamination and detoxification of mycotoxins

“…2). A segregation system by electronic sorting may be feasible for hand picked selected (HPS) groundnuts which are homogeneous as to variety and appearance (colour).…”