Mycological Quality of Marketed Cheese and Screening for Aflatoxin M1 and Ochratoxin A in El-Bayda City, Libya
Cheese is susceptible to fungal spoilage and mycotoxin contamination, which may originate from contaminated feed, the production environment, or storage. This cross-sectional market survey evaluated the mycological quality of 30 cheese samples (15 soft and 15 hard) collected in El-Bayda City, Libya, and screened samples for aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and ochratoxin A (OTA). The reported mean mould and yeast count was higher in soft cheese (4.2 × 10⁴ ± 0.20 × 10⁴ CFU/g) than in hard cheese (2.8 × 10⁴ ± 0.10 × 10⁴ CFU/g). Among 30 recorded primary fungal isolates, Penicillium spp. accounted for 46.7% (14/30), Aspergillus spp. for 33.3% (10/30), and Mucor spp. for 20.0% (6/30). AFM1 and OTA were reported in 40.0% (12/30) and 26.7% (8/30) of samples, respectively. These findings indicate that fungal contamination and mycotoxin detection merit strengthened surveillance. However, toxin concentrations, detection limits, recovery, individual sample results, and raw colony counts were not available; therefore, this study reports screening frequency and does not assess regulatory compliance, dietary exposure, or causal relationships between fungal genera and toxins. The manuscript recommends validated quantitative mycotoxin methods, source-water/feed and storage control, and a risk-based hygiene programme for dairy products marketed in El-Bayda