MOLECULAR AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF FUNGAL CONTAMINANTS ON ARABICA COFFEE BEANS FROM KINTAMANI, BALI: IMPLICATIONS FOR FOOD SAFETY AND SUSTAINABLE POST-HARVEST MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Fungal contamination in Coffea arabica poses a significant threat to coffee bean quality and food safety, particularly under humid tropical conditions. This study aimed to characterize fungal contaminants on Arabica coffee beans from Kintamani, Bali, and to evaluate their implications for consumer health and sustainable post-harvest management. Coffee bean samples were collected from multiple plantations and analyzed using morphological methods on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), complemented by molecular identification through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequencing. Morphological analysis identified three dominant species: Aspergillus niger, A. ochraceus, and A. flavus. However, phylogenetic analysis revealed that several isolates initially identified as A. niger and A. ochraceus exhibited higher genetic similarity to the A. aculeatus/japonicus clade, highlighting the limitations of morphology-based identification under tropical conditions. These findings underscore the importance of integrating morphological and molecular approaches for accurate fungal identification. The ecological and health implications of potential mycotoxin production reinforce the urgency of improving coffee bean drying and storage systems. This study represents the first molecular characterization of fungal contaminants in Kintamani coffee and provides a scientific basis for the development of biocontrol strategies and safe, sustainable post-harvest practices.