Aspergillus nomius, an important aflatoxin producer in Brazil nuts?

The relationship between aflatoxin B 1 and G 1 was examined in samples from 199 aflatoxin contaminated lots of inshell Brazil nuts imported to Europe. In most of the samples, the relationship between B 1 and G 1 were approximately 50/50 indicating that the major responsible aflatoxin producing fungi cannot be Aspergillus flavus, which produces solely B aflatoxins. Fungal strains were isolated from two batches of Brazil nuts and isolates of both A. nomius and A. flavus could be identified. The A. nomius isolates were good producers of both B and G aflatoxins, while the A. flavus strains only produced B aflatoxins. In conclusion, this study suggests that A. nomius is an important producer of aflatoxins in Brazil nuts and that its occurrence, and possibly other B and G aflatoxin producers, should be further examined since this may influence strategies for prevention and control of aflatoxins in Brazil nuts.