| The aim of this study was to determine the amount and type of aflatoxinogenic fungi on samples of |
| pistachios collected from warehouses in Kermanshah, Iran. Overall, a total of 632 samples were randomly collected |
| and based on their physical properties the samples were categorized into following groups: (i) raw pistachio with |
| intact shells, (ii) raw pistachio with broken and damaged shells, (iii) salted pistachio with intact shell, and (iv) salted |
| pistachio with broken and damaged shell. Then 158 subsamples were chosen from each category. The overall |
| contamination rate was 66%. The fungus contamination rates were significantly lower in salted in compared to raw |
| samples (p<0.05). The percent contaminated samples recorded 45.6% and 33.3% in salted pistachio with intact shell |
| and salted pistachio with damaged shell, respectively. The most fungal contamination rate was recorded for |
| Aspergillus niger followed by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus terreus in all categories. The percent |
| contamination of samples by Aspergillus niger was significantly higher in raw samples in comparison to salted |
| samples. The salted pistachio with damaged shell was significantly lesser contaminated to Aspergillus niger when |
| compared with the salted pistachio with intact shell (p<0.05). The Penicilium spp. contamination rates were |
| significantly higher in damaged shell samples compared to intact shell samples and apparently this type of |
| contamination did not decrease in salt-treated samples while, the salted, intact shell samples have shown |
| significantly more Aspergillus flavus contamination rates than salted, damaged shell (p<0.05). The Aspergillus |
| terreus contamination rates were significantly higher in intact shell samples compared to damaged shell samples. |
| These toxigenic fungi isolated raises concerns on the potential of pistachio products as a natural substrate prone to |
| the mycotoxin formation . |