Yixiang Xu, Andreia Bianchini and Milford A. Hanna
Hybrid hazelnuts are a potential oilseed crop for food and value-added industrial applications, but they are vulnerable to mold contamination. Mold and mycotoxin contamination were investigated in three forms (whole nut, kernel, and ground meal) of Nebraska hybrid hazelnuts. The nut was the most contaminated form, followed by ground meal and kernel. Penicillium was the predominant genus isolated from all three forms, and Alternaria and Cladosporium also were prevalent. In spite of presence of several toxigenic molds, all tested samples were mycotoxin free.