A total of 100 samples of meat cuts and minced meat (50 of each) were
collected from different localities of different sanitation levels from
Gharbia governorate. For moulds, the prevalence of isolated species were
Aspergillus (52.9% and 45.6%), Penicillium (21.1% and 27.2%),
Acremonium (3.5 % and 6.8%), Alternaria (11.7% and 12.6%), and
Curvularia (4.7% and 0.9%) for meat cuts and minced meat respectively.
Endomyces and Eupenicillium were isolated by a percent of (2.3% and
3.5%) respectively for meat cuts, while Chaetomium and fusarium were
(3.9% and 2.9%) for minced meat respectively. The result showed that
the Aspergillus and Penicillium were the most isolated mould species,
furthermore Aspergillus was further identified to A.flavus, A.niger,
A.terreus, A. aculeatus and A.fumigatus. A. niger was the most
predominant specie (48.8% and 59.5%) for meat cuts and minced meat
respectively. Penicillium also was further identified to P. fellutanum, P
.citreonigrum, P. aurantiogriseum and P. thomii. P. aurantiogriseum was
the most predominant species (33.3% and 32.1%) for meat cuts and
minced meat respectively. For yeasts, the prevalence of isolated species
were Candida (50% and 48.4%), Rhodotorula (13.3% and 18.7%),
Saccharomyces (16.6% and 12.5%) and Torulopsis (20% and 15.6%) for
meat cuts and minced meat respectively. The results also indicated the
mean concentration of aflatoxin B1 was (7.8±2.2 and 3.4±0.5) and
Ochratoxin A (3.9±0.8 and 8.1±1.9) for meat cuts and minced meat
respectively.