pnut pnut Peanut Science 0095-3679 0095-3679 American Peanut Research and Education Society 10.3146/i0095-3679-8-2-2 Articles Errors in Aflatoxin Analyses of Raw Peanuts By Thin Layer Chromatography1 T. B. Whitaker and J. W. Dickens 2 USDA, SEA, Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, N.C. State University, Raleigh, NC 27650

1Paper Number 6884 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC 27650. The use of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement by the United States Department of Agricultural or by the N.C. Research Service of the produce named, nor criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

 7 1981 8 2 89 92 29 7 1981 American Peanut Research and Education Society 1981 American Peanut Research and Education Society Abstract

Estimates were made of the errors associated with the extraction, cleanup, drying, and quantification steps of the analytical procedure used by the Food Safety and Quality Service to test peanuts for aflatoxin. An analysis of variance indicated that the error associated with the extraction, cleanup, and drying steps were each negligible and that the quantification step was the major source of the analytical error. The error associated with the quantification step (coefficient of variation average 18.6%) probably comes from three sources((1) differences in fluorescence among replicated spots on a TLC plate (spot to spot error), (2) differences in fluorescence among spots on different TLC plates (spot to spot plus plate to plate error), and (3) errors in measuring the fluorescence of the spots (reading error). The fluorescence spots on the TLC plates were read densitometrically.

 Key Words Peanuts; , Aflatoxin; , Variability; , FSQS; , Aflatoxin Analyses; , Extraction; , Thin Layer Chromatography