Moulds are significant food spoilage organisms and there are many different types of mould that can impact food quality. Identification of mould species by traditional means is a highly specialised and time-consuming process. Eurofins have introduced a new service to identify moulds to genus level utilising the MALDI-ToF biotyper in 3-5 days.
Usefulness of mould identification
Moulds are very widespread in the environment, however mould issues experienced in food production often are caused by one or a small number of moulds.
A key tool in identifying routes and sources of contamination can be identification of the type of mould causing the problem.
Subsequently investigative and environmental samples, ingredients, and packaging materials can be screened. It may also be possible to find a solution to the problem using knowledge of the characteristics of the mould.
Issues caused by moulds in foods and beverages
Moulds can cause spoilage of foods, making them unacceptable to the consumer.
The effects may be visible, changes to the flavour of the product, production of an off-odour, or a combination of these.
Contamination with certain types of mould can limit product shelf life on even low water activity foods.
Mould growth goes hand in hand with deterioration of the foodstuffs which it grows on. Some moulds can cause adverse effects on ingredients, such as production of beer gushing-inducing factors in barley and malt by Fusarium species.
Some moulds can generate mycotoxins in foods; naturally occurring toxins produced by certain moulds, for instance aflatoxins produced by Aspergillus species.
To find out more about rapid identification of moulds, or to arrange for testing of your samples, please contact us or call 0845 604 6740.
