Aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxin B1 in commercial ready pet food in Brazil

SERGIO G. CAMPOS; LUIZ M. KELLER; LILIA R. CAVAGLIERI; CÉSAR KRÜGER; MARÍA G. FERNÁNDEZ JURI; ANA M. DALCERO; CARINA E. MAGNOLI; CARLOS A. R. ROSA

World Mycotoxin Journal

Wangenigen Academic Publishers

Lugar: Inglaterra; Año: 2009 vol. 2 p. 85 - 90

1875-0710

The aims of this study were to determine the aflatoxigenic mycoflora and the incidence of aflatoxin B1 in commercial samples of ready dog food. Therefore, the A. flavus / A. parasiticus ability to produce aflatoxin B1 was demonstrated. Samples (180) (standard, premium and super premium) were collected. Aspergillus spp. was the prevalent genera followed by Penicillium spp. and Fusarium spp. A. flavus and A. parasiticus were the prevalent species. All A. flavus and A. parasiticus strains from super premium samples were able to produce aflatoxin B1, whereas toxigenic strains isolated from standard and premium samples varied from 80 to 100%. A high percentage of ready pet food contaminated by toxigenic species from section Flavi was found and aflatoxin B1 levels were detected. The fungal counts from the three kinds of feed were not over the proposed value (1 x 104 CFU g-1) and none of the samples exceeded the aflatoxin B1 recommended level (20 ng g-1). The presence of A. flavus and A. parasiticus with aflatoxigenic ability could be a potential risk to detect AFB1 in feedstuffs when environmental storage conditions are not adequate