Hansenula anomala as spoilage agent of cream-filled cakes.

The aims of this work were to identify the causal agents of the sporadic off-odour occurrence in Italian cream-filled cakes and to investigate the yeasts associated to various ingredients as well as the final products. In the overall production of the considered confectionery, the phenomenon was linked to a specific type of filled-cake such as the one having the hazel nut pastry as an ingredient. This ingredient as well as the final products were characterized by high frequencies of the spoilage yeast Hansenula anomala. This species, due to attributes such as osmotolerance and the ability to produce high concentration of ethyl acetate, could exercise a decisive role in the occurrence of the off-flavour.