engleski

The impact of ripening length and casing damaging on mycotoxin contamination of dry-fermented sausages

Meat products such as dry-fermented sausages may contribute to the entry of mycotoxins into the human body. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) may enter this type of product due to the natural contamination of feedstuffs and consequent contamination of pork meat used as a raw material. The contamination may also arise on the grounds of contaminated spices or toxin production by moulds of the Aspergillus and Penicillium genera that spontaneously overgrow the sausage surface during a long ripening period. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of ripening length and casing damaging on AFB1 and OTA production during a six-month ripening. In total, 33 samples of dry- fermented sausages were produced in a controlled household environment according to traditional recipes. Both intact and damage casing samples were retrieved prior to ripening and once a month during a six-month ripening period. Quantitative determination of AFB1 and OTA was performed using validated ELISA immunoassay methods. Whereas with intact casing sausages no contamination had been observed throughout the production process, statistically significantly different (p < 0.05) concentrations of AFB1 (1.62 – 3.52 µg/kg) and OTA (2.07 – 11.15 µg/kg) were observed with the damaged casing products at the ripening months 5 and 6, with the maximal values seen in the ripening end-phase (month 6). The results show that casing damaging occurring during a long-term ripening may result in mycotoxin entry from the dry- fermented sausage surface into the product’s interior, imposing therefore the need for casing preservation in each and every production stage via the HACCP implementation and for the continuous removal of moulds from the product surfaces, all of that to the end of minimizing the risk of mycotoxin contamination of the final product.

Mycotoxins ; Ochratoxin A ; Aflatoxin B1 ; Dry-fermented sausages ; Ripening period ; Casing damaging

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