Aflatoxin in dry red chilli is controlled by stopping mould from growing in the first place. That means fast, clean drying, removing damaged and mouldy pods, keeping moisture low in storage, and testing each lot before shipment.
Once aflatoxin is in the chilli, cleaning and sorting can lower it but cannot remove it reliably. Prevention and testing are what protect you.
Where aflatoxin comes from
Aflatoxins are toxins made by certain moulds, mainly Aspergillus flavus. The mould grows on chilli pods that stay damp and warm for too long. The risk is highest in the days after harvest, while the pods are drying, and later if stored chilli picks up moisture.
- Drying pods on bare soil, where they pick up mould spores and moisture.
- Rain or heavy dew during field drying.
- Thick heaps that dry slowly in the middle.
- Storage in damp warehouses, or condensation when chilli comes out of cold storage into hot, humid air.
- Broken or insect-damaged pods, which let mould in.
Controls that work
- Drying on tarpaulins, raised platforms or concrete yards, not on soil.
- Thin layers turned often, or mechanical and solar dryers where available.
- Drying to a safe moisture level agreed in your spec before bagging.
- Sorting out discoloured, mouldy and broken pods by hand or by colour sorter.
- Clean, dry storage, with cold-stored chilli allowed to warm in its bags before opening.
- Testing each export lot for aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxins, and for ochratoxin A, which is also found in chilli.
Why sampling matters
Aflatoxin is not spread evenly. A few contaminated pods can carry most of the toxin in a lot. A sample taken from the top of one bag can pass while the shipment fails at the border.
Ask for samples drawn from many bags across the lot, combined and ground before testing. Official EU sampling rules for mycotoxins work on this principle, so a properly drawn sample is closer to what an inspector will find.
Limits for your market
The EU, the UK and other markets set maximum levels for aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in spices including chilli. These limits are revised from time to time. Check the current figures in the EU contaminants regulation or with your national food authority, and write them into your contract. Our guide to aflatoxin and ochratoxin limits for spices explains how they work.
Aflatoxin is one of the most common quality problems with Indian agri exports, so treat a clean test on the shipped lot as a condition of payment, not a courtesy.
How we help
During audits we look at how the processor dries, sorts and stores chilli, and we draw lot samples across many bags for aflatoxin and ochratoxin testing at an NABL-accredited lab. To build these checks into your next chilli order, ask for a free sourcing review.