Incidence and Evaluation of Foodborne Fungal Pathogens

Abstract

Background: Fruits and vegetables provide an ideal condition for the growth of microorganisms. Cereals and bakery products serve as a valuable source of nutrients in the diet of many people and they provide an ideal condition for the growth of microorganisms too. Many fungal and bacterial species are responsible for the spoilage of fruits and vegetables. They contaminate fruits and vegetables and made them insufficient for consumption. Objective: In our present study, an investigation has been carried out to isolate and identify the fungal species which are responsible for the spoilage of some food items particularly bread, cheese, lemon and onion. Materials and method: A prospective study was conducted to know the incidence and to evaluate the common fungal pathogens are involved in the spoilage of different types of food products namely bakery product bread, milk product cheese, vegetables onion and lemon. The samples were collected from the spoiled bread, lemon, onion & cheese which were obtained from different shops in the local market. The samples were subjected to identification and isolation of fungal pathogens using the standard staining procedure and selective media. 5 fungal isolates were found to be most commonly occurring in all of the samples namely Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus, Mucor and Penicillium marneffei. Keywords: Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Mucor and Penicillium marneffei.