Fungal Microbiota in Artisan Cheeses in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico

Abstract

Cheese is an important food in Mexican cooking, the per capita consumption in Mexico is 6 kg; however, it can carry numerous harmful fungi for people, as mycotoxigenics. The objective of the work was to evaluate fungal microbiota present in artisanal cheeses from the open market in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, five types of cheeses were obtained per week from different origins; one from Saltillo, two from General Cepeda (A and B), one from Mazapil, Zacatecas and one from Ciudad Fernandez, San Luis Potosi. Each cheese was cut in three levels (replicates), and a 1 cm sample was taken on the North, South, East, West, and center of the cheese, with four replicates, which were placed in Petri dishes with PDA culture medium kept at 25 °C ± 2 °C for 120 h. Fungi were identified using the Medina and collaborators technique. Geotrichum candidum, Fusarium verticillioides, Rhizopus nigricans, Cladosporium sp. and Penicillium sp. were identified morphologically, with an incidence ranging from 0 to 100 %. Fusarium verticillioides and Penicillium sp. are toxigenic fungi, and Geotrichum candidum cause infection in the bronchial tubes, lungs and mucous membranes, called geotrichosis, so it is important to implement quality measures to guarantee the safe production of cheeses for human consummation.