Fungal Presence in Selected Tree Nuts and Dried Fruits

Sixty-four tree nut samples (almonds, pecans, pine nuts, and walnuts) and 50 dried fruit samples (apricots, cranberries, papaya, pineapple, and raisins) were purchased from local supermarkets and analyzed for fungal contamination using conventional culture as well as molecular methods. The results o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microbiology Insights 2015-01, Vol.2015 (2015), p.1-6
Main Authors: Tournas, V.H., Niazi, N.S., Kohn, J.S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aspergillus flavus
Aspergillus niger
Compliance
Food contamination & poisoning
Fruits
Fungi
Host-parasite relationships
Identification and classification
Juglans
Metabolites
Microbiological research
Mold
Nuts
Penicillium
Prunus
Prunus dulcis
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Summary:Sixty-four tree nut samples (almonds, pecans, pine nuts, and walnuts) and 50 dried fruit samples (apricots, cranberries, papaya, pineapple, and raisins) were purchased from local supermarkets and analyzed for fungal contamination using conventional culture as well as molecular methods. The results of our study showed that the highest yeast and mold (YM) counts (5.34 log10 CFU g-1) were found in walnuts and the lowest in pecans. The most common mold in nuts was Aspergillus niger, relatively low numbers of A. flavus were found across the board, while Penicillium spp. were very common in pine nuts and walnuts. Low levels (2.00–2.84 log10 CFU g-1) of yeasts were recovered from only two pine nut samples. Fungal contamination in dried fruits was minimal (ranging from
ISSN:1178-6361
1178-6361
DOI:10.4137/MBI.S24308