article · Toxins
All 60 examined commercial chocolate samples across various types contained aflatoxins, reaching maximum levels of 2.32 micrograms per kilogram in cocoa powder, 1.81 in milk chocolate, and 1.66 in dark chocolate. To address this contamination, three potential binding agents were evaluated: activated charcoal, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Testing took place individually and in combinations within simulated gastrointestinal tract conditions. A tri-mix formulation combining all three adsorbents delivered the strongest performance, achieving an adsorption efficiency of 96.8 percent and showing optimal binding at pH 6.8 over four hours. Furthermore, fortifying dark chocolate with this tri-mix formulation produced minimal cytotoxicity impacts on adsorption performance while leaving the sensory attributes of the final confectionery largely unaffected.
Aflatoxins are toxic fungal contaminants that present serious food safety risks. Because these toxins frequently persist in processed cocoa and chocolate products, manufacturers require practical decontamination methods. Demonstrating that a combination of common probiotics, yeast, and activated charcoal can bind toxins effectively without ruining the taste or sensory experience offers a viable pathway towards safer consumer confections.
This research is applied and tested at the formulation stage. Confectionery manufacturers could use the tri-mix formulation as a functional ingredient during dark chocolate manufacturing to enhance product safety and reduce aflatoxin exposure. Moving towards commercial production will require scaling the formulation, validating shelf-life stability, and ensuring regulatory compliance for food-grade charcoal and live cultures in confectionery processing.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
The high incidence of aflatoxins (AFs) in chocolates suggests the necessity to create a practical and cost-effective processing strategy for eliminating mycotoxins. The present study aimed to assess the adsorption abilities of activated charcoal (A. charcoal), yeast (<i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>), and the probiotic <i>Lactobacillus rhamnosus</i> as AFs adsorbents in three forms-sole, di- and tri-mix-in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) through an in vitro approach, simulated to mimic the conditions present in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) based on pH, time and AFs concentration. In addition, the novel fortification of chocolate with A. charcoal, probiotic, and yeast (tri-mix adsorbents) was evaluated for its effects on the sensory properties. Using HPLC, 60 samples of dark, milk, bitter, couverture, powder, and wafer chocolates were examined for the presence of AFs. Results showed that all the examined samples contained AFs, with maximum concentrations of 2.32, 1.81, and 1.66 µg/kg for powder, milk, and dark chocolates, respectively. The combined treatment demonstrated the highest adsorption efficiency (96.8%) among all tested compounds. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed the tested adsorbents to be effective AF-binding agents. Moreover, the novel combination of tri-mix fortified chocolate had a minor cytotoxicity impact on the adsorptive abilities, with the highest binding at pH 6.8 for 4 h, in addition to inducing an insignificant effect on the sensory attributes of dark chocolate. Tri-mix is thus recommended in the manufacturing of dark chocolate in order to enhance the safety of the newly developed product.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.3390/toxins15010021
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
