AOCS Official Method Aa 9a-97
Reapproved 2017
Aflatoxins in Corn and Peanuts by Thin-Layer Chromatography Method

DEFINITION
This method detects aflatoxins either visually or densitometrically. Aflatoxins are extracted from samples with methanol/water. Filtrate is diluted with NaCl solution and defatted with hexane. Aflatoxins are partitioned into chloroform which is then removed by evaporation. Aflatoxins are purified by chromatography on 0.5 g silica gel column, and quantitated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) on silica gel 60 plate with densitometry or visual estimation.

SCOPE
Applicable to corn and raw peanuts. Levels of aflatoxins may be determined densitometrically in the range of 1.5–5.0 ug/g and visually in the range of 7.5–50 ng/g.