MOLD GROWTH AND PRESENCE OF AFLATOXIN IN SOME TURKISH CHEESES

Twenty-five random fresh market samples of Van herby cheese and pickled white cheese were examined for molds and aflatoxins. The mean total mold count in Van herby cheese was 2.50 × 10⁵/g; in pickled white cheese it was 4.95 × 10⁴/g. The mycoflora on the cheeses were determined. In all cheeses, over 65% of molds were Penicillium species . Aspergillus made up 0 to 1.6 % and 2.6 % to 4.0 % of the mold on pickled white cheese and Van herby cheese, respectively. Other isolated molds belonged to Mucor, Geotrichum and Trichoderma genera. None of the samples contained aflatoxins and none of the 6 Aspergillus isolates was an aflatoxin producer .