Heat-Resistant Moulds in Fruits and Fruit-Containing Products

Heat-Resistant Moulds (HRM) are defined as microorganisms that can survive thermal processes applied to foods due to their ascospores and can develop during storage. The most significant feature that makes these moulds important in the food industry is their ability to reactivate during thermal processes like pasteurisation, thermisation, and other processes involving low oxygen and high pressure, as well as being present in the sexual phase. The most common HRMs include Byssochlamys spp., Neosartorya (Aspergillus) spp., Talaromyces spp., Eupenicillium spp., Hamigera spp., and Thermoascus spp. The primary source of HRMs is soil and fruits that come into contact with the soil. Especially strawberries, raspberries, grapes, apples, blueberries, and blackberries are among the most frequently studied products in the literature. In addition, HRMs have been isolated from and identified in various processed products such as fruit juices, baby food, puree-jams, marmalades, dairy products, and olives using different methods. Enzymes and mycotoxins synthesized by HRMs not only spoil food, causing economic losses, but also pose a hidden risk to public health. Therefore, the quality of raw materials, storage conditions, food hygiene practices, proper temperature pasteurisation, and the use of preservatives gain importance. This review aims to provide an additional perspective to the literature on the nomenclature of HRMs, their heat resistance, commonly found species in foods, metabolites produced by HRMs, and detection and prevention methods.