The optimal temperature in favor of aflatoxin contamination
in peanuts would rise along with the decrease of the latitude.
Among the 2494 peanut samples in the four provinces, the percentages
of aflatoxin-positive samples and mean contents of aflatoxins
and the percentages of non-compliant samples were highest
in Sichuan and lowest in Liaoning. The aflatoxin B1 content in
peanuts at harvest was closely related to climatic conditions before
harvest. When the mean temperature was close to 23 C, minimum
temperature was close to 20 C, and maximum temperature was
close to 29 C under drought stress, the level of aflatoxin contamination
was high. When the mean temperature was 15e28 C,
minimum temperature was 13e26 C, and maximum temperature
was 20e33 C under drought stress, the content of aflatoxin B1
would go beyond the limit of 20 mg/kg.