Isolation and identification of mould contaminating UF cheeses in Fasa city

Cheese is one of the valuable dairy products that has a significant role in feeding most people in society. During or after the production process, cheeses may become contaminated with moulds, which can endanger the health of the product and reduce its marketability. Cheese is one of the foods that has the suitable conditions for the growth of fungi. The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify the contaminants of ultrafiltration (UF) cheeses offered in Fasa city. For this purpose, 110 samples of cheese cans from different factories were randomly collected from the market and kept both open and closed. After growth, moulds were identified morphologically and molecularly. The results showed that the highest contamination of open cheeses was related to Penicillium, followed by Aspergillus, Paecilomyces and Trichoderma. In closed cheeses, Byssochlamys spectabilis was the most contaminated mould. During this study, for the first time in Iran, this type of fungus was isolated and identified.