Patulin testing is a laboratory procedure that measures the mycotoxin patulin, produced by Penicillium and related moulds in damaged or rotting fruit, and is required for apple juice, apple-based products and related goods subject to EU maximum levels.
In trade practice
Analysis is typically performed by HPLC with UV detection following clean-up, using accredited methods. Buyers of frozen or processed apple products should require patulin results on the certificate of analysis for each production lot, particularly where raw material sourcing includes windfalls or mechanically harvested fruit with higher bruising rates. A common oversight is accepting a single annual test rather than per-lot results when raw material quality varies seasonally. The EU maximum level instrument applies to juices, purees and solid apple products for infants.
In a specification
Product specifications for apple-derived ingredients state that patulin must be tested per lot by an accredited laboratory, with the result reported against the applicable EU maximum level and included in the shipment documentation.