Indoor air quality in mass catering plants: Occurrence of airborne eumycetes in a university canteen

The present study aimed to investigate the viable eumycetes population of indoor air sampled in a mass catering plant that produces up to 1200 meals per day. The combination of a culture-dependent and -independent approach applied in the food-processing environment was efficient for the identification of airborne eumycetes. Penicillum, Cladosporium and Alternaria were the dominant genera, while Thysanophora, Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Annulohypoxylon, Arthrinium, Aureobasidium and Trametes were found to be in minority. The size and composition of the eumycetes population found in this study do not raise specific concerns. Nevertheless, a quantitative and qualitative monitoring of these bioaerosol should be included in the progress and criticality reports of the HACCP system in the catering services where eumycetes can pose different risks, such as worsening of the overall quality of meals and/or of the work environment. Indeed, these reports are a useful tool in the preventive HACCP approach, provided that an adequate frequency of sampling is planned in order to quicken the pre-warning process.