Mycoflora in commercial pet foods

This article reports on the identification of mycoflora of 21 dry pet foods (12 belonging to dogs and 9 to cats) that corresponded to 8 commercial brands made in Argentina and imported. The isolation frequency and relative density of the prevalent fungal genera are compared too. Ten genera and fungi classified as Mycelia sterilia were identified. The predominant genera were Aspergillus (62%), Rhizopus (48%), and Mucor (38%). The most prevalent among Aspergillus was Aspergillus flavus followed by Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus terreus. The predominant Mucor was Mucor racemosus followed by Mucor plumbeus and Mucor globosus. The moisture content of these foods ranged from 5.6 to 10.0% and from 7.2 to 9.9% for dog and cat foods, respectively. A greater moisture content in food for the senior category (9.5 +/- 0.2) was observed only in comparison to adult and kitten/puppy. If the moisture content can be maintained at these levels, mold growth would be prevented or at least it would remain at an insignificant level. Some genera and species isolated and identified from the foods analyzed are potentially producing toxins, which are known as mycotoxins. This involves a risk for animal health.