The presence of Penicillium and Penicillium mycotoxins in food wastes

A total of 97 samples (48 summer and 49 winter) of food waste from private households were investigated for Penicillium and for mycotoxins. Twenty-five Penicillium species were isolated and Penicillium crustosum, Penicillium brevicompactum, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium expansum, Penicillium roqueforti, Penicillium spinulosum, Penicillium viridicatum, Penicillium commune, Penicillium citrinum and Penicillium solitum were, in decreasing order, the most frequently identified species. Mycotoxins produced by several of these species, including mycophenolic acid, roquefortine C, penitrems A–F and thomitrems A and E, were detected. Of the 48 summer samples, 36 were severely infected and contained more than 105 colony forming units (CFU) Penicillium/g sample. The levels of mycotoxins in these samples were in the range 75–19 000 μg/kg mycophenolic acid, 40–920 μg/kg roquefortine C, 35–7500 μg/kg penitrem A, 20–2100 μg/kg thomitrem A and 20–3300 μg/kg thomitrem E. Of the 49 winter samples, only one was found to contain mycophenolic acid (4800 μg/kg) and roquefortine C (190 μg/kg), and this sample was severely infected with P. roqueforti. Thirty samples of food waste collected from the food manufacturing industry were also investigated. The number of Penicillium in these samples was between 105 and 106 colony forming units (CFU)/g sample. Seven of these samples contained mycophenolic acid ranging from 50 to 600 μg/kg and three of these samples also contained roquefortine C in the range 100–250 μg/kg.