Title of article :
Isolation and Identification of Psychotropic Fungal Contamination in Food Storage Refrigerators in Ahvaz City Restaurants
Author/Authors :
Fazelipour, Mansour Department of Environmental Engineering - Science and Research Branch Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran , Neisi, Abdolkazem Environmental Health Department - Public Health Faculty - Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases Research Centre - Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran , Alizadehattar, Somyeh Environmental Health Department - Public Health Faculty - Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases Research Center - Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran , Kiasat, Neda Department of Medical Mycology - School of Medicine - Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Abstract :
Background: Food-borne pathogens are one of the most important problems in less developed and developed countries. Commercial refrigerators are a potential source of fungal contamination that causes food spoilage, food-borne intestinal infectious diseases
or mycotoxin diseases.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of psychotropic fungi in food storage refrigerators (n = 50) with temperatures above and below 0ºC at selected restaurants (n = 25) located in the city of Ahvaz, Iran.
Methods: Samples were collected from the surfaces of the refrigerators by using sterile swab sticks pre-moistened with sterile distilled water, and then each collected sample was plated out on Sabouraud dextrose agar medium. Finally, all fungi were counted
and identified based on macroscopic and microscopic characteristics.
Results: According to our results, 100% of the sample refrigerators showed fungal contamination. Cladosporium sp. (42.34%) and Mucor sp. (0.06%) had the highest and the lowest frequency of fungi recovered from our research, respectively. Furthermore, the P value calculated indicated a significant correlation between refrigerators above 0ºC and refrigerators below 0ºC (P < 0.00001).
Conclusions: The presence of fungi in commercial refrigerators could be an indicator of a potential source of food spoilage and food-borne diseases. Therefore increased education, and proper packaging and refrigerator management are recommended since regular cleaning of these refrigerators is important in order to prevent food-borne diseases and other health risks.
Keywords :
Fungi , Ahvaz , Commercial Refrigerators , Food-Borne Diseases
Journal title :
Jundishapur Journal of Health Sciences