Mould contamination of some Egyptian cheese

Seham El-Badry and Amal A. Raslan

Abstract

Mould contamination of milk products is a matter of significance in the field of food safety due to its related food spoilage and production of mycotoxins. This study was undertaken to investigate the incidence of mould contamination in different cheese types marketed in Zagazig city, Egypt. Roumy cheese had the highest total mould count followed by cheddar and white cheese types. The prevalent mould genera were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium and Alternaria. Further identification of Aspergillus (A) species revealed that A. niger, A. flavus, A. parasiticus and A. ochracous are the dominant Aspergilli. The public health importance of the prevalent mould genera was discussed.

Key words

Mould, cheese, health hazards