Abstract:
Coffee is an important beverage product in many parts of the world. During the
production and processing of coffee the prevailing environmental factors and rate of
drying can have a profound influence on colonisation by mycotoxigenic fungi and
contamination with ochratoxin A (OTA). In Kuwait, coffee beans are imported from
various parts of the world. The objectives of this project were to (a) to examine the
diversity of mycotoxigenic fungi found in green and roasted coffee beans bought in the
Kuwaiti market from different source countries and identify the dominant fungal
populations, (b) to examine the ecology and ochratoxin A production by the
ochratoxigenic strains and species isolated, (c) determine the effect of caffeine
concentrations in vitro on growth and OTA production by strains from the Aspergillus
section Circumdati and Section Niger groups, (d) evaluate the impact of interacting
climate change factors (water activity (aw) x temperature x elevated CO2) on growth
and OTA production in vitro and in situ, (e) determine the effect of aw and temperature
interactions on ecology of strains of two new species, A. aculeatinus and A.
sclerotiicarbonarius, isolated from coffee beans and (f) evaluate the efficacy of gaseous
ozone (O3) for controlling OTA producing fungi and control of contamination in coffee
beans after treatment and after storage. Cont/d.
