Mycotoxins in Meat and Meat Products

ESPECIAL MICOTOXINS

M ICOTOXINS IN MEAT and MEAT

PRODUCTS

Josué Delgado, Félix Núñez & Mar Rodríguez Hygiene and Food Safety, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Meat and Meat Products Institute. Cáceres, University of Extremadura, Spain

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of molds that have adverse effects on animal health.

They are a heterogeneous group, which results in a high variability of toxic effects.

Mycotoxins are produced by various species of molds, among which the most common belong to the Aspergillus, Penicillium, Claviceps and Fusarium genera.

There are several microbial groups capable of growing in meat and meat products, due to their ubiquity and tolerance to diverse environmental conditions.

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MICROBIAL GROWTH FACTORS IN MEAT AND MEAT PRODUCTS

Bacteria dominate in feed with high aw (> 0.90)

Factors determining what type of microorganism proliferates in meat and meat products are determined by physical and chemical characteristics of the food, such as:

Molds and yeasts are dominant in lower aw feed, such as cured and ripened meat products.

pH Water activity (aw) NaCl concentration Storage temperature Presence or absence of oxygen

Although the mold growth does not always imply the production of mycotoxins, since the conditions for the occurrence of this process tend to be more demanding (Table 1).

Table 1. Conditions for growth and mycotoxins production required by the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium (Adapted from Sweeney and Dobson, 1998). pH

Temperature °C

Water Activity (aw)

Growth

Mycotoxins production

Growth

Mycotoxins production

Growth

Mycotoxins production

Aspergillus

12-40

27-33

2,2-8

5-6

0,77-0,88

0,82-0,99

Fusarium

0-31

22-28

2-6

3-4

0,85-0,97

0,85-0,87

Penicillium

(-3)-40

15-30

2,1-10

5-6

0,80-0,95

0,80-0,86

HOW MYCOTOXINS REACH MEAT

Mycotoxins can reach meat and meat products in two ways:

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Through consumption of meat and meat products from animals which have consumed feed contaminated with mycotoxins, Through the growth of toxigenic molds on the surface of cured and ripened meat products.

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MYCOTOXIN CONTAMINATION IN ANIMAL FEED

In case of contamination by mycotoxines in animal feed, due to the low aw and good availability of nutrients, molds can produce toxins during the storage of cereals, feed or silage, since molds in these environments grow more easily Animals may have diverse susceptibilities to mycotoxins, varying from death caused by its acute intoxication to subclinical mycotoxicosis caused by long-term administration of low doses of mycotoxins.

Also, mycotoxins ingested by animals can be accumulated in different organs and tissues of such animals, which may be very dangerous for consumers, since mycotoxins cannot be destroyed using the usual food processing techniques.

European Food Safety Authorities have set maximum limits of these contaminants in products intended for animal feed.

Table 2. Approximate values in mg/kg (ppm) for feed with a moisture content of 12%. (Recommendation 2006/576 / EC and Regulation 574/2011 / EC)

Product to be Applied

Mycotoxin

Limit

Complementary and complete feed for calves, dairy cattle, sheep (including lambs) and goats (including kids)

Zearalenone

0,5 ppm

Cereals and cereal products

Deoxynivalenol

8ppm

Cereals and cereal products

OTA

0,25ppm

More than 4 months old ruminants

Fumonisins B1 + B2

50ppm

Complementary and complete feed except for dairy cows and calves, dairy sheep and lambs and dairy goats and kids.

Aflatoxin B1

0,01ppm

Raw materials for animal feed and compound feed containing unground cereals

Ergot

1000 ppm

Due to molds ubiquity, the effective controls of the danger of presence of mycotoxins in feed and silage in storages should be established in environmental conditions impeding their development.

Regulation 574/2011 (European Commission, 2011) sets maximum levels of Aflatoxin B1 and ergot, ergotamine producer (European Commission, 2011), and Recommendation 2006/576 (European Commission, 2006b) establishes the maximum tolerated levels that the following mycotoxins: Ochratoxin A, Deoxynivalenol, Zearalenone and Fumonisins B1 and B2 should not exceed in feed with a moisture content of 12% (Table 2)

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ESPECIAL MICOTOXINS

GROWTH OF MOLDS ON THE SURFACE OF CURED AND RIPENED MEAT PRODUCTS

BENEFICIAL EFFECTS

Molds developed in the cured and ripened meat derivatives during their maturation can have both positive and negative effects regarding the quality and safety of the final product.

Molds contribute to the proteolytic and lipolytic changes that occur during maturation.

As a consequence of this activity, there is an increase in the concentration of amino acids and free fatty acids, precursors of desirable volatile compounds in cured and ripened meat products.

Due to their production of enzymes such as catalase, molds constitute an antioxidant barrier.

In general, it relates to molds with reduced rancidity, which positively affects the sensory level.

In recent years there has been a gradual increase in the legal regulations of the European Union governing the maximum content of these contaminants in food. The maximum levels have been established for the following: Aflatoxins (Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs 2001; European Commission 2010a), Ochratoxin A (OTA) (Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs 2003; European Commission 2010b) (*), Patulin (Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs 2004; European Commission 2006) Fusarium toxins (European Commission 2005, European Commission 2007).

NEGATIVE EFFECTS

(*)In addition, in some countries such as Italy, the maximum level of ochratoxin A for pork and pork products has been set at 1 ppm (Ministerio della Sanità 1999).

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The following are negative effects associated with the growth of molds on the ham surface: Molds can cause defects or sensory alterations, and Molds can produce mycotoxins, which, from the point of view of food security, is more alarming (Núñez et al 2007, Rodríguez et al., 2012).

Most of the molds isolated from sausages and cured ham belong to the genera Penicillium and Aspergillus, which are potentially toxigenic (Núñez y col. 1996).

In addition, several toxigenic species belonging to these two genera produce mycotoxins when growing on the surface of cured ham (Núñez y col. 2007; Rodríguez y col. 2012).

MOLD CONTROL METHODS IN CURED AND RIPENED MEAT PRODUCTS

Because of the danger posed by the production of mycotoxins, it is necessary to establish viable strategies to avoid its synthesis during the processing of cured and ripened meat products.

There are different methods of control of these processes, among which we can mention:

Physical methods (thermal treatments, ionizing radiation or high pressure)

USE OF NON-TOXIGENIC STRAINS

Given the non-overall efficiency and due to the increasing demand for food free of additives, it is necessary to use other alternatives to control the growth of toxigenic molds during maturation of food, avoiding the use of these chemical preservatives.

Variations in the maturation conditions of these products could prevent the development of fungal population, but it may also reduce the sensory quality of the final product.

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Chemical methods (controlled atmospheres, organic acids, essential oils or hydrogen peroxide)

alternativas para controlar este peligro One of the more appropriate options is based on the use of non-toxigenic strains that contribute to the maturation of the product in which they are inoculated.

Disadvantages of these methods:

The ability of these microorganisms to implant themselves and to exert their

Many of these treatments are not applicable during the processing of cured and ripened meat products, as they would impede the correct development of such maturation process.

effect is better if they are in the form of

Large volume of drying rooms and difficult handling of a large number of pieces make physical treatments difficult to be applied.

protective crops does not suppose a

Although various chemical preservatives, such as sorbic acid and propionic acid, can be used to control the growth of molds, they are not completely effective.

strains isolated from cured and ripened products, given their power to adapt to those particular ecological conditions.

The use of these microorganisms as rupture with the usual microbiota in these products.

Lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and molds producing antifungal proteins are one of the most important microorganisms present in this type of products able to inhibit the development of toxigenic molds or the formation of mycotoxins.

This work was funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Government of Extremadura and FEDER (AGL2013-45729-P, GR15108).

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