[On the prevalence of toxigenic aspergillus flavus strains in Soviet-made food products].

An analysis of 813 specimens of agricultural crops and 155 specimens of good quality products from retail trading establishments demonstrated that more than 50 per cent of them were contaminated with molds of the A. flavus species. From among 489 strains isolated the toxigenic ones comprised 5.1 per cent and according to their morphological characteristics they were referred to molds of the A. flavus and A. fumigatus and Penicillium species. Toxigenic strains were isolated only in specimens of agricultural crops, none of them having been found in the products coming from the retail trade establishments. In the grain itself and in the food products none of the fluorescent components characteristics of aflatoxins were isolated.