Incidence of aflatoxin-potential contamination in Spanish sausages

525 strains of moulds were isolated from 8 samples of red pepper (Capsicum annuum) and from 3 samples of black pepper (Piper nigrum). These spices were commonly added to the various kinds of spanish sausages, specially to the spanish "chorizo". Of these 525 isolated moulds, 100 belonged to the Aspergillus flavus group. 69 were isolated from red pepper and 31 from black pepper. Of these strains, 28 strains isolated from red pepper were found positive in producing aflatoxin B1 while only 8 of the strains isolated from black pepper produced aflatoxin B1. 16 of the strains isolated from red pepper also produced aflatoxin G1. After experimental contamination by these aflatoxicogenic strains of moulds of various kinds of spanish sausages, and after drying them under similar storage conditions used in the sausage industry, the presence of aflatoxin were detected only on the skin but not in the meat of the sausage.