Aflatoxin and Food Safety in Carob Consumption
Aflatoxins are compounds produced by some types of mold and are among the most monitored natural contaminants in terms of food safety. This issue is also important for carob, as products stored by drying, such as dried fruits, nuts and grains, carry the risk of mold in unsuitable conditions.
In this article, we discuss what aflatoxin and other mycotoxins are, at what stages the risk may arise in carob products, what the current scientific data says, and the precautions that both consumers and businesses can take for safe consumption.
What are Aflatoxin and Mycotoxins?
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds that some mold fungi produce under certain conditions. Aflatoxins are the most well-known members of this group and are produced primarily by some mold species belonging to the genus Aspergillus. Aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, and G2 are the most commonly observed species. Ochratoxin A, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, and fumonisins are also among the other mycotoxins investigated in foods.
There are several reasons why mycotoxins are important for food safety. These compounds are highly heat-resistant; that is, they may not be completely eliminated by processes such as cooking, roasting, or boiling. They are also invisible to the eye, odorless, and tasteless. Just because a product is apparently mold-free is not a guarantee that it is mycotoxin-free; conversely, the presence of visible mold does not always mean that mycotoxins have formed. Therefore, mycotoxin control can only be secured through proper storage practices and laboratory analysis.
Where Can the Risk Come From in Carob?
Carob is a product that is dried and stored after harvest and can be stored for a long time. Dried carob is generally a durable raw material with its low moisture structure; however, as with any dried agricultural product, unsuitable conditions can pave the way for mold growth. The main points where the risk may arise are:
| Harvesting and collecting | Pods that fall to the ground and come into contact with moist soil for a long time or receive rain. |
| Insufficient drying | Products that are taken into storage without sufficiently reducing the humidity. |
| Storage | Warehouses that are damp, airless and whose temperature fluctuates; sacks that come into direct contact with the ground. |
| Pest damage | Pods that have been punctured or shredded by insect damage can create a more favorable environment for mold growth. |
| Post-processing | Storing broken, powdered or floured products in moisture-absorbing packaging or in humid environments. |
As the surface area increases in processed products such as carob powder and crumbs, the tendency to absorb moisture may also increase. For this reason, the packaging and storage conditions of processed products become even more important than whole fruit.
What Does the Scientific Data Say?
The number of studies examining mycotoxin levels in carob fruit, flour or cracks is quite low compared to products such as grains and nuts. Nevertheless, a few studies published in recent years provide concrete data on the subject.
Measurements made on market products
In the study, in which 27 mycotoxins were screened by the UPLC-MS/MS method in cocoa products and carob products offered for sale in the Russian Federation, 22 carob samples were examined. Aflatoxin B1 (0.15–0.18 μg/kg) was detected in 3 of the carob samples, ochratoxin A (0.5–1.4 μg/kg) in 5, and fumonisin B2 (4.2–5.2 μg/kg) in 7 of the carob samples. The more common ones in the samples were "emergent" mycotoxins, for which the legal limit has not yet been found: alternariol was found in 14 (1.5–43.1 μg/kg) of 22 samples, and tentoxin was found in 13 samples (Sedova et al., 2022). Although these levels are low, researchers have emphasized that carob and cocoa products should be evaluated not only for aflatoxin B1 but also for other mycotoxins.
A method validity study conducted jointly by the Ankara Food Control Laboratory and the European Commission Joint Research Center (JRC) in Turkey developed an analysis method for the simultaneous measurement of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in molasses and fruit pulp. In the abstract of the study, it is stated that the co-occurrence of aflatoxin and ochratoxin A in mulberry and carob molasses has been reported for the first time (Kaymak et al., 2018). This finding shows that processed products such as molasses should not be excluded from mycotoxin monitoring.
Beware of the confusion over the name "Carob flour"
In the literature, the expression "carob flour" is not only used for Mediterranean carob (Ceratonia siliqua). Flour obtained from the pods of Prosopis species (algarrobo) in South America is also referred to by this name in English sources. In the study in Argentina, in which 18 Prosopis flexuosa flour samples were examined, a significant portion of the samples were found to have 1.26–20.33 μg/kg total aflatoxin and it was recommended that this flour be subjected to aflatoxin monitoring (Mom et al., 2020). These results belong to a different plant and should not be directly transferred to Ceratonia siliqua products; however, it is a useful example that reminds us that dried fava bean flours can be contaminated by Aspergillus species under suitable conditions.
Official evaluation for the carob gamut
There is an important official evaluation for the carob scale (E410) obtained from carob seeds.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), in its scientific opinion that carob gum was re-evaluated as a food additive, stated that screening data were obtained from the industry for microorganisms and mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2, deoxynivalenol, HT-2 and T-2 toxins, ochratoxin A and patulin). In two refined and unrefined carob gum samples, all aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 analysis results were found to be below the measurement limit of 0.1 μg/kg (EFSA ANS Panel, 2017).
In the same opinion, EFSA emphasized that gums can create an environment for microbiological contamination and field and landfill-derived mold growth due to both their vegetative origin and polysaccharide structure; Pointing out that microbiological criteria for carob gum are not defined in the EU specifications, it suggested adding criteria for the absence of Salmonella and E. coli and the total number of aerobic microorganisms and yeast-molds (EFSA ANS Panel, 2017).
In a study cited by EFSA, an analysis method that can simultaneously screen 11 different mycotoxins in food-grade gums was developed and 20 gum samples taken from the market were examined. In a guar gum and a tragacanth gum sample, aflatoxin was detected below the B1 measurement limit, and zearalenone was detected in a xanthan gum sample (Zhang et al., 2014). This study shows that mycotoxin screening is possible and meaningful in dried herbal products such as gums.
These data pertain to the carob gamut and gamuts; they should not be directly generalized to carob dust or kibble. The magnitude of the risk for carob fruit and flour depends largely on harvesting, drying, and storage practices.
Legal Regulations
Maximum limits for mycotoxins in foods are regulated by Commission Regulation No. 2023/915 in the European Union (EU) and by the Turkish Food Codex Contaminants Regulation prepared by taking this regulation into account in Turkey. In the tables attached to the two texts, there is no separate line and no special limit with the name of carob, carob flour or carob molasses. Therefore, which limit will be applied to carob products depends on which category the product falls into in the legislation.
In the regulations, the category that may be most closely related to carob is "dried fruits". In Annex-1 of the Turkish Food Codex Contaminants Regulation, aflatoxin limits are gradually reduced for dried fruits (except dried figs) offered to the end consumer or used as food ingredients:
| Enforcement | Aflatoxin B1 (μg/kg) | Sum of B1+B2+G1+G2 (μg/kg) |
|---|---|---|
| From the publication of the Regulation | 8,0 | 10,0 |
| From 31/12/2025 | 5,0 | 8,0 |
| From 31/12/2027 | 2,0 | 4,0 |
Source: Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Contaminants, Annex-1, line 1.1.2 (Official Gazette, 05.11.2023). In the same annex, a limit of 10.0 μg/kg is stipulated for ochratoxin A in dried fruits as of 31/12/2024 (line 1.2.1).
In the EU Regulation (EU) 2023/915, the limit for aflatoxin B1 is 2.0 μg/kg for dried fruits offered to the end consumer or used as food ingredients, and 4.0 μg/kg for the sum of the four aflatoxins; for dried fruits to be sorted or other physical processed, these values are 5.0 and 10.0 μg/kg. For ochratoxin A, the limit for "other dried fruits" other than raisins and dried figs is set at 2.0 μg/kg (Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915). As can be seen, Turkish legislation is gradually approaching EU values with transition dates.
Both texts stipulate that changes in the concentration contaminated by drying and processing, the ratios of the components in the product and the analytical measurement limit will be taken into account when applying limits for dried, processed or multi-ingredient foods for which no limit has been determined in the Annex (TGK Contaminants Regulation, Article 6; EU 2023/915, Article 3). The Turkish regulation also imposes the responsibility on food operators to determine the source of the risk, to carry out prevention and mitigation studies and to keep them recorded for the risks identified by the risk assessment authorities for foods for which no limit has been determined in Annex-1 (Article 10).
Whether carob will be considered within the scope of "dried fruit" is not defined separately in the regulation texts. For this reason, producers, importers and exporters should confirm the applicable limits for their products from the current official legislation and the regulations of the target country in consultation with the competent authority. Since the legislation may change over time, the above values are based on the published texts examined in this article.
The Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Food Labeling and Informing Consumers requires certain information important for safe consumption to be included on the label of the product reaching the consumer. This information includes the recommended consumption date (TETT) or expiry date (STT) and special storage and usage conditions. STT is specified in microbiologically perishable foods, TETT is specified in others, and foods with a past STT are considered unsafe foods (Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Food Labeling and Informing Consumers, 2017; with 2024 amendments).
Checkpoints for Businesses
The most effective way to manage mycotoxin risk in the carob supply chain is to prevent the problem from occurring. This approach also forms the basis of food safety management systems:
| Raw material acceptance | Control for moisture, appearance, mold, pest damage and foreign matter; separation of unsuitable batches. |
| Drying | Reducing the product to a humidity level suitable for storage and verifying this by measurement. |
| Storage | Dry, cool, ventilated, pest-protected warehouses; product not in direct contact with the ground; temperature and humidity monitoring. |
| Processing | Sorting out moldy or damaged parts during crushing, separation and grinding. |
| Analysis | Periodic mycotoxin and microbiological analyses based on risk assessment in accredited laboratories. |
| Traceability | Keeping a record of the source, processing date and analysis results of each batch. |
| Packaging | Selection of packaging materials with low moisture permeability and suitable for the characteristics of the product. |
For exporting businesses, certificates of analysis are among the most frequently requested documents by buyers. Clarifying in advance which parameters will be analyzed between the buyer and the seller, by which method and in which laboratory, prevents possible disputes.
Quality and Safety in Molasses: The Case of HMF
Carob molasses is a product that goes through extraction and condensation stages. Another parameter that is frequently monitored in molasses, unlike mycotoxin, is hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). HMF is a compound that can be formed by heating and storing sugary products for a long time and is used as an indicator of heat treatment intensity. HMF in commercial carob molasses in Turkey was measured in the range of 0.79–50.25 mg/kg; it was stated that the upper limit in the TS 13717 standard cited in the study was 30 mg/kg and some samples exceeded this limit (Yavuz Küçük and Duraklı Velioğlu, 2022). This example shows that quality and safety in carob products should not be evaluated with a single parameter, but with multiple product-specific criteria.
Practical Recommendations for Consumers
It is also possible for people who consume carob at home to minimize the risk with simple precautions:
- Buy products from registered and trusted sources with complete label information.
- Store the opened carob powder and crumbs in tightly closed containers in a cool, dry place.
- Do not keep whole pods in humid environments in a plastic bag for a long time.
- Do not consume products that are moldy, clumpy, or show unusual odor or discoloration; discard the product instead of removing the moldy part and using the rest.
- Separate the insect-damaged, hole or dusty pods.
- Follow the TETT/STT date and storage conditions on the label.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there aflatoxin in carob? As with any agricultural product that is dried and stored, there is a risk of mold growth and mycotoxin formation in inappropriate conditions. The risk can be largely controlled with proper harvesting, drying and storage practices.
Is there a legal aflatoxin limit for carob? Neither the Turkish Food Codex Contaminants Regulation nor the EU's Regulation 2023/915 has a carob-specific line. The limit to be applied is determined by the category the product falls into (e.g. dried fruits) and the general provisions on processed products; the competent authority should be consulted in this regard.
Does roasting or boiling destroy aflatoxin? Mycotoxins are highly heat-resistant. Heat treatment may not completely remove these compounds; therefore, the main measure is the prevention of mold.
Is there a risk of mycotoxins in carob gum? In the two carob gum samples examined in EFSA's assessment, aflatoxins were found below the measurement limit; however, EFSA recommended that microbiological criteria for the gums be added to the specification.
Can the moldy carob part be eaten? Not recommended. Mycotoxins may also have spread to invisible areas; it is safer to dispose of the entire moldy product.
Secure Supply with Carob Türkiye
Food safety in carob products requires attention at every stage, from field to shipment. As Carob Türkiye, we supply carob fruit, crumbs (granules), flour/powder, seeds and extracts; for product specifications, your analysis requests, wholesale and export processes Contact Now You can contact us on our page.
Related pages: What is Carob Kibble (Granule)?, Carob Kibble (Granular), Carob Seed.
This content is for informational purposes only; it does not replace medical advice. Legal limits should be based on current official legislation.
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