Mycological aspects of ostrich meat products with special reference to toxigenic moulds

ABSTRACT

Ostrich luncheon meat and frankfurter samples were produced locally in Egypt, and relatively highly contaminated by both moulds and yeasts and aflatoxin residues. The most frequently encountered fungi from the tested samples were yeasts genera [Candida, Rhodotorula, Torulopsis, Cryptococcus and Trichosporon] and moulds genera [Aspergillus, Penicillium and Cladosporium], less common were [Sacchromyces and Pichia] and [Fusarium and Mucor] Neither A.flavus nor A. Parasiticus were aflatoxin producer .Three ostrich meat product samples out of 30 analyzed were positive for aflatoxin Bl and Gl while all samples were negative for aflatoxin B2 and G2. Aflatoxin Bl was detected only in two and one samples out of 15 analyzed from each of ostrich luncheon meat and frankfurter respectively. The highest detectable level, 4.80 ppb, was recorded in luncheon meat sample and the least detectable level, 2.78 ppb was record in frank furter sample. Aflatoxin Gl at a concentration of 2.60 ppb was detected in only one sample while aflatoxin Bl contaminated two samples of ostrich luncheon meat; this sample also had the highest level of aflatoxin Bl. The hazardous potential of such contamination will be discussed