engleski

Sterigmatocystin occurrence in traditional meat products of households seated in different Croatian regions

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by numerous types of moulds. They can contaminate both food and feed, so that they represent a serious public health threat. Sterigmatocystin (STC) is a mycotoxin mainly produced by different fungi of the Aspergillus, but also the Emericella, the Chaetomium, the Humicola, and Botryotrichum species. However, data on STC occurrence in different foodstuffs and feedstuffs are limited. Previous research has shown that STC can be found in bread, grains, nuts, coffee, spices, beer, and cheese, while data on the occurrence of STC in meat and meat products are not available. The production of Croatian traditional meat products (TMPs) includes the ripening period, during which moulds can overgrow the product surface, produce mycotoxins, and consequently contaminate the final product. TMPs under this study were produced using different production technologies and were sampled during a two-year period from households located in five climatically different Croatian regions. In total, 250 samples were taken and analysed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) preceded by the immunoaffinity sample preparation. STC was detected in 11 samples coming from Southern, Western, Northern and Central region. The mean STC concentration found in positives coming from the Southern, Western, Northern and Central region was 0.14±0.03 µg/kg, 0.29±0.18 µg/kg, 1.25±1.81 µg/kg, and 0.12±1.81 µg/kg, respectively. In the Eastern region, STC was not determined in any of the samples. Unlike other regions, in the Eastern region ripening took place during winter, i.e., at lower temperatures and higher precipitation amounts. Samples (of hams) taken from other regions were ripened during spring/summer, that is to say, at higher temperatures and lower precipitation. As the members of the Aspergillus species, which are the main STC producers, grow in dry and warm environments, the absence of this mycotoxin in samples coming from the Eastern region can primary be linked to the weather during the ripening period. These findings emphasise the importance of temperature and humidity control during TMP production.

mycotoxins, sterigmatocystin, traditional meat products, LC-MS/MS, weather

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