Mycobiota in Portuguese 'normal' and 'green' cork throughout the manufacturing process of stoppers

Abstract

The compounds responsible for the so-called 'cork taint' include, among others, some microbial metabolites which can be produced by the microbial population colonizing the unprocessed cork and stoppers. This study was intended to obtain information on the mycobiota associated with Portuguese cork throughout the manufacturing process of stoppers. Samples of barks and stoppers of both 'normal' and 'green' cork were examined. Moulds were isolated from 'normal' and 'green' cork throughout the entire cork stopper manufacturing process. Yeasts were rarely detected in the corks. Fungal contamination was not detected in finished stoppers from the company under study.