Mycobiota and Mycotoxin Contamination of Traditional and Industrial Dry-Fermented Sausage Kulen

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify and compare surface mycobiota of traditional and industrial Croatian dry-fermented sausage <i>Kulen</i>, especially toxicogenic species, and to detect contamination with mycotoxins recognized as the most important for meat products. Identification of mould species was performed by sequence analysis of beta- tubulin and calmodulin gene, while the determination of mycotoxins aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), ochratoxin A (OTA), and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) was carried out using the LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) method. The results showed a significantly higher number of mould isolates and greater species (including of those mycotoxigenic) diversity in traditional <i>Kulen</i> samples in comparison with the industrial ones. <i>P. commune</i>, as a potential CPA-producer, was the most represented in traditional <i>Kulen</i> (19.0%), followed by <i>P. solitum</i> (16.6%), which was the most represented in industrial <i>Kulen</i> samples (23.8%). The results also showed that 69% of the traditional sausage samples were contaminated with either CPA or OTA in concentrations of up to 13.35 µg/kg and 6.95 µg/kg, respectively, while in the industrial samples only OTA was detected (in a single sample in the concentration of 0.42 µg/kg). Mycotoxin AFB₁ and its producers were not detected in any of the analysed samples (<LOD).