**Background:** Nuts are nutritionally valuable but highly susceptible to aflatoxin contamination — toxic secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus fungi. Aflatoxins are classified as Group I carcinogens by the IARC and represent the greatest dietary risk factor for chronic illness among food contaminants. The UAE imports over 85,000 metric tons of nuts annually from 57 countries, yet data on aflatoxin prevalence in this region were lacking. This study aimed to assess the incidence of aflatoxins in nuts and nut products imported to the UAE between 2017 and 2021, and to evaluate associations with container type and processing method.
**Methods:** Trained analysts at Dubai Municipality's ISO/IEC 17025:2017-accredited food chemistry laboratories conducted the analyses. A total of 5,401 samples — pistachios (n=1,761), peanuts (n=1,726), peanut butter (n=1,795), and mixed nuts (n=119) — were collected daily from six food warehouses in Dubai ports. Sampling followed EU Directive 2006/401/EC. Samples were analyzed within 24–48 hours of arrival using HPLC-FLD with immunoaffinity column cleanup. The mobile phase was acetonitrile/methanol/water (20:20:60) at 1 mL/min, with fluorescence detection at 360 nm excitation and 420 nm emission. Recovery experiments yielded mean recoveries of 96.1% (AFB1), 94.4% (AFB2), 94.3% (AFG1), and 97.2% (AFG2). LODs ranged from 0.1 to 0.23 μg/kg and LOQs from 0.3 to 0.7 μg/kg. Packaging materials were clustered into five groups: metal, paper, fabric, plastic, and glass. Statistical analysis used ANOVA (IBM SPSS v26) with significance at p<0.05. Only non-compliant sample data were reported per regulatory confidentiality.
**Key Results:** Of 5,401 samples, 4,935 (91.4%) complied with UAE standards. Non-compliance was 11.8% for peanuts (204/1,726), 9.8% for pistachios (172/1,761), 4.7% for peanut butter (85/1,795), and 4.2% for mixed nuts (5/119). Mean aflatoxin levels in non-compliant samples were: peanuts 92.7±82.3 μg/kg (range 11.6–377), pistachios 82.4±85.9 μg/kg (10.5–551), mixed nuts 81.0±50.6 μg/kg (13.4–150.7), and peanut butter 29.3±18.9 μg/kg (10.7–106.5). The difference between peanut butter and other nut types was significant (p<0.05). Non-compliant samples exceeded limits by 540–824% for nuts and 195% for peanut butter. By packaging, fabric had the highest non-compliance rate (28.6%) and mean aflatoxin level (108.1±88.5 μg/kg), followed by paper (11.4%; 81.7±79.5 μg/kg), plastic (7.9%; 70.6±78.2 μg/kg), metal (4.1%; 63.5±57 μg/kg), and glass (2.3%; 29.7±17.4 μg/kg). Only glass vs. fabric differences were significant (p<0.05). By processing, ground samples had the highest mean (158.9 μg/kg), followed by sliced (81.62 μg/kg) and blanched (26.83 μg/kg). Non-compliant products originated from 32 of 57 countries. Highest mean aflatoxin levels for pistachios were from Syria (200.2 μg/kg) and Afghanistan (152.2 μg/kg); for peanuts from Rwanda (216 μg/kg), Sri Lanka (205.9 μg/kg), and Chad (204.8 μg/kg); for mixed nuts from Lebanon (111.3 μg/kg); and for peanut butter from Uganda (48.9 μg/kg).
**Clinical Implications:** Although this is a food safety surveillance study rather than a clinical trial, the findings have direct public health relevance. Aflatoxins are Group I carcinogens causally linked to hepatocellular carcinoma. The study found that 8.6% of imported nut products exceeded safety limits, with mean levels 540–824% above standards for nuts. A recent risk assessment in Nigeria estimated that chronic aflatoxin B1 exposure from peanuts could cause 247, 99, and 41 new liver cancer cases/year/100,000 children, adolescents, and adults, respectively. The high contamination levels detected — particularly in fabric-packaged and ground products — indicate that consumers in the UAE may face elevated cancer risks from imported nuts. The authors recommend that regulatory agencies audit importing companies, establish minimum packaging standards (minimizing oxygen and moisture permeability), and enforce Good Agricultural and Manufacturing Practices in exporting countries. The study is limited by the unavailability of compliant-sample aflatoxin data, preventing comprehensive risk assessment. Future work should also assess deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination, the most widespread mycotoxin in food and feed.