Research

Toxigenic penicillia spoiling frozen chicken nuggets

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Abstract

Frozen chicken nuggets are classified as pre-prepared frozen meals. These products are convenient to consumers as they are easy to prepare and allow for long storage by freezing. Over the years, spoilage of frozen food products caused by fungi has been a continual problem for the food industry since mold can develop when frozen foods are allowed to attain temperatures of -10ºC, or above. The growth of fungi on the food surface results in economic losses and represents a hazard to public health due to the possibility of mycotoxin production. The aim of this study was to identify the species of filamentous fungi involved in the spoilage of frozen chicken nuggets and determine their ability to produce mycotoxins under laboratorial conditions. A total of 7 samples of frozen chicken nuggets were analyzed by dilution plating in potato dextrose agar (PDA). These products had been returned by customers due to visible mold growth on their surface. The predominant species found were Penicillium glabrum, Penicillium polonicum, Penicillium manginii, Penicillium crustosum, Penicillium commune, and Penicillium solitum. Analysis of the profile of secondary metabolites was carried out in HPLC after growing the isolates in Czapek yeast autolysate agar (CYA) and yeast extract agar and sucrose (YESA) and extracting the extrolites with a solution of ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, methanol, and formic acid. Some isolates of these species showed an ability to synthesize mycotoxins such as cyclopiazonic acid citreoviridin, roquefortine C, penitrem A, and verrucosidin under standard conditions. Considering the occurrence of fungal spoilage in frozen food and the potential hazard involved, more studies on psychrophilic fungi growth in foods stored at low temperatures are necessary. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Food spoilage Frozen chicken nugget Fungi Plantae (Fungi Microorganisms Nonvascular Plants Plants) - Fungi Imperfecti or Deuteromycetes [15500] Penicillium commune species contaminant Penicillium crustosum species contaminant Penicillium glabrum species contaminant Penicillium solitum species contaminant Penicillium polonicum species contaminant Penicillium genus filamentous fungi common contaminant Penicillium manginii species contaminant citreoviridin 25425-12-1 toxin mycotoxin cyclopiazonic acid 83136-88-3 toxin mycotoxin Czapek yeast autolysate agar dichloromethane 75-09-2 Ethyl acetate 141-78-6 Formic acid 64-18-6 Methanol 67-56-1 Penitrem A 12627-35-9 toxin mycotoxin Potato dextrose agar Roquefortine C 58735-64-1 toxin mycotoxin Secondary metabolites Sucrose 57-50-1 verrucosidin 88389-71-3 toxin mycotoxin yeast extract agar 10060 Biochemistry studies - General 10068 Biochemistry studies - Carbohydrates 13502 Food technology - General and methods 22501 Toxicology - General and methods 22502 Toxicology - Foods food residues additives and preservatives dilution plating method laboratory techniques Foods Toxicology Food Cyclopiazonic acid Mycotoxins Citreoviridin Toxicity Penitrem Dogs Rats Molds Breaded meat Low-temperature spoilage Psychrophilic fungi Mycotoxin Algae Animals Dichloromethane Food microbiology Hazards Losses Meats Metabolites Molding Polysaccharides Temperature Yeast Low temperatures Penicillium glabrum Potato dextrose agars Standard conditions Yeast extract agar Spoilage