Toxigenic Fungal Contamination for Assessment of Poultry Feeds: Mashed vs. Pellet

Background: Much attention has been paid to poultry feed processing and the contamination In Iran in order to improve the production and reduce the waste.&nbsp; No information is available on the fungal contamination and the strains found in processed (pellet) and non-processed (mash) poultry feeds. This study was designed to determine the hygienic condition and the risk of fungal contamination affecting the quality of poultry feeds (mashed vs. pellet). Methods: A total of 90 samples of poultry feeds were collected from warehouses in Tehran and Alborz provinces. Samples were cultured on SDA, the CFUs were calculated, and the taxonomic identification of various fungal genera was made, both macroscopically and microscopically. Results: Total mould counts for mashed feeds (15&times;103) was significantly (P<0.05) higher than pelleted feeds (11&times;102). &nbsp;The most frequent fungal genus recovered were Fusarium spp (90%) and Aspergillus spp (70%) in mashed and pellet feeds, respectively. Conclusion: Heat processing reduced fungal contamination in poultry feeds. However, some fungal species are able to survive heat exposure and continue to form spores. We concluded that the assessment of fungal contamination in poultry feeds deserves a high attention to improve the quality, hygiene and safety of the foods originated from poultry .