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In this study, 28 hazelnuts, 24 walnuts, 18 peanuts, 13 almonds, and 11 roasted chickpeas (leblebi) were analyzed for aflatoxin contamination using thin layer chromatography (TLC). Aflatoxin was found in 26 of 94 samples (27.66%) at concentrations ranging from 1 to 113 ppb. Detectable levels of aflatoxin were 33.4 ppb in hazelnuts, 22.1 ppb in walnuts, 43.0 ppb in peanuts, 7.4 ppb in almonds, and 1.7 ppb in roasted chickpeas. The highest level of aflatoxin was 113 ppb in a single hazelnut sample. Aspergillus and Penicillium species were frequently determined in all the samples.

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Summary The objective of this study is to characterise the gross chemical and microbiological status and identify the volatile compounds of mouldy Civil cheeses. A total of forty‐one samples were surveyed, and gross compositional status of the cheeses was (as mean values): 6.5 for pH, 6.2% for fat‐in‐dry matter, 51.8% for moisture and 15.3% for water‐soluble nitrogen (as% of total nitrogen). Chemical composition of the cheese samples varied widely. Mouldy Civil cheese has similar pH values and moisture contents when compared with blue‐type cheeses, but it has distinct feature for fat contents. The microbiological counts of the samples were found to be high and some samples contained coliform bacteria. A total of 95 volatiles, including esters (28), acids (6), ketones (12), aldehydes (3), alcohols (15), terpenes (10), sulphur compounds (3) and miscellaneous (18), were identified in the volatile fractions of the cheeses, and principal volatile groups were esters, alcohols and ketones.

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Red cabbage is an attractive vegetable with its rich anthocyanin content, antioxidant potential, and coloring properties. The aim of this study was to determine the properties of lyophilized red cabbage water extract (LRCWE) obtained from fresh red cabbage and the usability of different ratios (0%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, 1.0%, and 1.2%) of this extract in the production of pastirma cemen paste. LRCWE had high total phenolic content, anthocyanin content, and antioxidant activity properties. The results showed that besides the increased total phenolic content, anthocyanin content, and antioxidant potential of pastirma cemen paste, the addition of LRCWE significantly improved the desired redness (a*) and consumer acceptability compared to control samples. The best results in terms of redness, functional, bioactive, and sensory properties were determined in cemen pastes containing 1.0% and 1.2% LRCWE. In conclusion, the utilization of 1.0% and 1.2% LRCWE can be recommended as an alternative natural additive to synthetic colorants used in the production of pastirma cemen paste and threatening human health. Practical applications Pastirma is a meat product produced by the salting/curing, the 1st drying, 1st pressing, 2nd drying, cemening and the final drying processes of the whole muscle or muscles. “Cemening” is defined as keeping the meat in a cemen paste prepared with various materials for a certain period of time and then covering the outer surface of the meat with this paste. Cemening is an important stage affecting the quality features of pastirma. Synthetic dyes that threaten human health are added to the cemen paste to improve the color properties of the pastirma. The results of this research could offer an alternative to the use of colorants produced from natural sources instead of synthetic dyes for pastirma providers and contribute to the nutrition of consumers with healthier and safer meat products. In this way, functional properties of meat products processed as pastirma shall be increased.

Moldy Civil is a mold-ripened variety of cheese produced mainly in eastern Turkey. This cheese is produced with Civil cheese and whey curd cheese (Lor). Civil cheese has had a geographical presence since 2009 and is manufactured with skim milk. In the production of Moldy Civil cheese, Civil cheese or a mixture of Civil and Lor cheese is pressed into goat skins or plastic bags and ripened for 3 months or longer. During the ripening period, natural contaminating molds grow on the surface of and inside the cheese. In this study, 186 mold strains were isolated from 41 samples of Moldy Civil cheese, and 165 of these strains were identified as Penicillium roqueforti. Identification and mycotoxicologic analyses were conducted using morphotypic and molecular methods. PCR amplicons of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS4 region were subjected to sequence analysis. This research is the first using molecular methods on Moldy Civil cheese. Mycotoxicologic analyses were conducted using thin-layer chromatography, and random amplified polymorphic DNA genotypes were determined using the ari1 primer. Of 165 isolates, only 28 produced no penicillic acid, P. roqueforti toxin, or roquefortine.

In this study, four different types of mould‐ripened Civil cheese were manufactured. A defined (nontoxigenic) strain of a Penicillium roqueforti (SC 509) was used as secondary starter for the manufacture of mould‐ripened Civil cheese with and without addition of the whey cheese Lor; in parallel, secondary starter‐free counterparts were manufactured. A total of 83 compounds were identified. Ketones, alcohols and esters were the principal classes of volatile components. Principal component analysis of the headspace volatiles grouped cheeses by age and type. P. roqueforti inoculated cheese was clearly separated from the other cheeses at 180 days of ripening, and these cheeses were characterised with high levels of ketones (e.g., 2‐butanone, 2‐heptanone). Differences in the panel scores between the cheese samples were not significant during the first stage of ripening (up to 60 days); as ripening proceeded, these differences were become evident and P. roqueforti inoculated cheeses received higher scores than others. Addition of Lor in the manufacture of mould‐ripened Civil cheese caused lower points by the sensory panel, and the cheese inoculated with P. roqueforti and Lor‐free was the best type of mould‐ripened Civil cheese. The results showed that the use of P. roqueforti in the manufacture of mould‐ripened Civil cheese has significant impact on the volatile profiles and sensory attributes.