Eighty samples were collected from different parts of home-refrigerators and meat stored herein, in the province of Qena, Egypt. Quantitative and qualitative estimations of moulds were carried out by conventional methods and the identified Aspergillus spp. were confirmed by the RAPD-PCR technique in the Institute of Applied Microbiology (IAM), University of Agricultural Sciences, Vienna, Austria. The obtained results revealed that the highest mould count was 3.9 X 104 CFU/cm2 in the chest of there frigerators, followed by 3.2 X 10^4, 2.6 X 10^3 and 2.5 X 10^3 CFU/cm2 in samples of air and freezer of refrigerators and stored meat, respectively. Elevenmould genera could beidentified, the most common of which were Aspergillus, Penicillium and Cladosporium. The counts and relative frequencies for these genera were 31 (25.4 %), 17 (13.9 %) and 16 (13.1 %), respectively. Five Aspergillus species were identified; mainly A. flavus 13 (42.0 %), A. niger 5 (16.1 %) and A. nidulans 5 (16.1 %). The isolated Aspergillus species were subjected to further identification by r and om amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) by using type strains from IAM. RAPD-analysis indicated that the Aspergillus strains isolated during this study were completely identical with the corresponding type strains from IAM. Public health hazard and significance of mould contamination in home-refrigerators, as well as hygienic measures and recommendations are fully discussed to prevent or minimise such contamination.
Farghaly R. M., Gherbawy Y. A. M. H., Yosef M. S. (2004): Contamination of meat stored in home refrigerators in Qena (Egypt). – Czech Mycology 56(1-2): 53–62.
