[Survey of storage wheat contamination to zearalenone producer Fusarium species in East Azarbaidgjan]

Contamination of storage wheat to zearalenone producer molds represents a significant hazard to consumer health and has thus received increasing attention from food safety authorities and legislators. Various species of Fusarium genus are producer of different mycotoxins including zearalenone at certain conditions. These mycotoxins can enter into the human food and animal feed chain and cause premature or early thelarche, gynecomastia, primary and secondary mycotoxicosis in humans and animals. In this survey, contamination of 162 randomly collected wheat samples to zearalenone producer Fusarium was investigated using direct microscopic examination and culturing samples in specific media. From studied 162 collected wheat samples, 160 [99%] samples had fungal contamination. Aspergillus niger, Penicillium Sp, other species of Asergillus [A. Fumigatus, A. Flavous, A. Niveus, A. cchraceus,..] Fusarium Sp, Alternaria Sp, Cladesporium Sp, Gliocladium Sp. and Trichotecium Sp. were the most frequently detected microorganisms respectively. The presence of moulds sue as Aspergillus Sp, Penicillium Sp, Fusarium Sp, Alternaria Sp, Cladesporium Sp, Gliocladium Sp, and Trichotecium Sp. in consumer wheat samples can lead to the presence of harmful mycotoxins and then could result in serious toxicity and illness in humans. As the fungal contamination has a strong influence on the ultimate quality of wheat, wheat end products and food safety, more attention to the quality and safety of wheat and wheat stored places are necessary

Fungal contamination of consumed tea in East Azarbaidjan Province

Information on the fungal contamination of consumer tea is limited and this kind of contamination is important for food and therefore a survey was undertaken to determine the fungal contamination of consumer tea in East Azarbaidjan province. A total of 100 samples were obtained using standard 20 cm collection sond from whole sales and stores in different part of East Azarbaidjan province and examined according standards methods, Samples were cultured in YCFA medium and incubated at 25oC for maximum 3 weeks and a screening survey for positive samples was carried out 73 [73%] out of total 100 samples had fungal contamination more than 104 colony forming units/gram [cfu/g], Aspergillus niger, Penicillium Sp, Fusarium Sp, Asergillus fumigatus, Alternaria Sp, Cladesporium Sp, Mucor Sp, Gliocladium Sp and Trichotecium Sp were the most frequently detected microorganisms throughout the survey respectively. The presence of moulds such as Aspergillus Sp, Penicillium Sp, Fusarium Sp, Alternaria Sp, Cladesporium Sp, Mucor Sp, Gliocladium Sp and Trichotecium Sp in consumer tea can lead to the presence of harmful mycotoxins produced by these moulds and then could result in serious toxicity and illness in humans, As the fungal contamination has a strong influence on the ultimate quality of tea, tea end products and food safety, more attention to the quality and safety of tea are necessary