Aspergillus section Flavi in dried cavendish banana (Musa acuminata var cavendishii) chips production
1999
Sales, A.C.
The average count of Aspergillus flavus propagules in fresh and dried Cavendish bananas were 1.2 x 10 sup 2 and 1.6 x 10 sup 2 cfu/g, respectively. An increasing trend was observed in the A. flavus counts (AFC) of Cavendish bananas during processing. Peeling, chipping and drying increased exposure of the fruits to contaminants and contributed significantly to the counts of A. flavus in the fruits. Variability in the A. flavus counts between batches may be attributed to differences in physico-chemical characteristics of the fruits, extent of damage to the peel, airborne AFC, the AFC of food-contact surface, and temperature and RH conditions during processing and storage. Physico-chemical characteristics of Cavendish bananas up to the first day of drying were within the range of values allowing growth of and toxin production by aflatoxigenic fungi. Airborne AFC varied depending on time of day and the section of the production area examined. The close proximity of the waste disposal area to the preparation, drying and storage area suggests that cross-contamination, probably airborne or insect-borne, is a likely occurrence. Noteworthy is that the hands of workers in 2 production batches had higher AFC than the other food contact surfaces examined. Significant correlation (r = -0.8467) was observed between pH and AFC. The unhygienic, sometimes primitive and faulty methods of production and storage, the hot and humid climate, and the occasional unseasonal rains, make it likely that dried Cavendish banana chips produced by PAIDCOOP is exposed to aflatoxigenic fungi and contaminated with aflatoxins
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