Innovative Technologies for Non-Intrusive Aflatoxin Detection in Pistachios

Aflatoxin contamination poses a significant risk to all nuts, including pistachios, during harvest, storage, and processing. Dietary exposure to aflatoxins can lead to severe toxic and carcinogenic effects in humans. To safeguard human and animal health, aflatoxin legislation sets maximum permissible levels for aflatoxins in food products, including pistachios. Consequently, imported pistachios undergo rigorous aflatoxin contamination testing. Traditional methods for measuring aflatoxin levels, such as High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), HPLC with Mass Spectrometry, and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), although precise, are destructive, costly, and time-consuming. This paper investigates the application of emerging technologies, including Hyperspectral Imaging, Chromatographic Test Strips, Luminescent Metal-Organic Frameworks, spectroscopic methods, machine vision, and advanced artificial intelligence models, to develop a non-intrusive, real-time system for aflatoxin detection in pistachio nuts. Additionally, it outlines a comprehensive strategy to protect public health, mitigate economic losses estimated at $932 million annually, and sustain the pistachio industry.