Abstract:
The objective of this study was to assess the microbial contamination of Razavi
Khorasan (Iran) hot red pepper. The natural occurrence of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A
in those samples was also investigated. For this purpose, 36 samples of this kind of pepper
were collected from a farm and sun-dried. Standard and established methods were used
for both microbiological analyses and mycotoxins identification. Total aerobic mesophilic
counts of samples varied from 102
to 4×106
cfu g-1. Coliforms were present at high levels
in all samples ranging from 1.9×102
to 3.52×106
cfu g-1that may indicate inappropriate
hygienic quality of samples. 42% of the samples were of unsatisfactory quality due to the
presence of E. coli. In all samples examined, sulphite-reducing clostridia (SRC) was below
detection limit and Salmonella spp. was not detected. Fungi were found in all of the
collected samples. Mold and yeast were generally high ranging from 2.4×103 to 4.6×106 cfu
g
-1and the most predominant fungal genera were Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp and
Rhizopus spp. Considering the results obtained, the samples analyzed contain a high level
of microorganisms and only two samples (6%) had acceptable levels for all microbial
factors according to EU Commission Recommendation (directive2004/24/EC). 69% and
17% of samples were found contaminated with total aflatoxins and ochratoxin A,
respectively, that might contribute to health hazards for humans. Overall, The Razavi
Khorasan hot red pepper samples collected for this study were contaminated with
microorganisms and mycotoxins, which suggests that hygiene practice pre- and postharvesting
must be improved if the region is to exploit fully the potential for this valuable
product.
Keywords: Aflatoxins, Microbiological quality, Ochratoxin A, Red pepper.
