**Abstract**

In Mexico, dried fruits and seeds are commonly purchased by consumers in bulk at loosely regulated markets. Lack of oversight in these points of sale translates also to a lack of knowledge of the sanitary conditions of the product being sold and of potential risks to the health of consumers. The objective of this work was to assess the incidence of molds in three different products (peanuts, pecan nuts, and squash seeds) sold in bulk at local traditional produce markets. The isolated molds were analyzed via optical microscopy and colony morphology in selective growth media, and species were identified *via* dichotomic keys. Results of the assessment indicate a high incidence of contamination with toxigenic mold species, such as *Aspergillus flavus*, *Fusarium* spp., and *Penicillium* spp., as well as deteriorative molds such as *Aspergillus niger* and *Rhizopus oryzae*. However, although the incidence of contamination was high, the degree of contamination of most studied samples did not exceed counts permitted by Mexican regulation (300 CFU/g). This would indicate that, in spite of the lack of oversight, storage conditions for the sampled products were, for the most part, adequate, and that the risk to the consumer associated with these kinds of products is marginal.

**Keywords:** peanuts, pecan nuts, squash seeds, *Aspergillus*, *Fusarium*, *Penicillium*
