Regional distribution and diversity of Aspergillus and Penicillium species on Croatian traditional meat products

• Published in: International journal of food microbiology 2023-12, Vol.406, p.110404-110404, Article 110404
• Main Authors: Zadravec, Manuela, Lešić, Tina, Brnić, Dragan, Pleadin, Jelka, Kraak, Bart, Jakopović, Željko, Perković, Irena, Vahčić, Nada, Tkalec, Vesna Jaki, Houbraken, Jos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aspergillus; Croatia; cured meats; Dry-cured meat; food microbiology; Genes responsible for mycotoxin production; Geographical region; hygiene; meat; metabolites; Moulds species; Penicillium; Production technology; public health; raw materials; relative humidity; salt concentration; salt content; Sausages; species; temperature
• ISSN: 0168-1605; 1879-3460
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110404

Various factors, such as weather and production practices (e.g., environmental hygiene, process duration, raw material quality, ripening temperature, and relative humidity), in combination with the intrinsic product properties (e.g., pH, aw, salt content), significantly affect the growth of surface moulds. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify surface moulds retrieved from traditional meat products (TMPs) and correlate these data to the production region and production technology. The surface of 250 TMPs (dry-fermented sausages, n = 108; dry-cured meat products, n = 142) from five Croatian regions were sampled during a two-year period. Dry-fermented sausages had a significantly higher pH and a lower salt concentration when compared to dry-cured meat products. In total, 528 isolates were obtained, comprising 20 Penicillium and 17 Aspergillus species. The species most frequently isolated from the dry-fermented sausages were P. commune (32.4 %), A. proliferans (33 %), and P. solitum (14.8 %), while A. proliferans (52.1 %), P. commune (28.9 %) and P. citrinum (19.7 %) predominated in dry-cured meat products. Aspergillus predominated on the TMPs from southern Croatia, while Penicillium was prevalent on products from the other four regions, possibly due to differences in weather conditions. Seven potentially mycotoxigenic species (A. creber, A. flavus, A. niger, A. westerdijkiae, P. citrinum, P. commune, and P. nordicum) were isolated and identified. Regular monitoring of mould species and their toxigenic metabolites present on traditional meat products is of the utmost importance from the public health perspective, while the results of such a monitoring can prove beneficial for the tailoring of the production technology development. •Surface moulds on TMP depends on the environmental parameters and the production in households.•Penicillium species were predominant in continental and Aspergillus species in the coastal region.•The number of isolates on dry-cured meat products depends on the length of the ripening period.•50 % of the isolated mycotoxigenic species possess genes for mycotoxin production.