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  • Publication | 2019

Mycotoxins in Food and Feed: An Overview

Global Food and Nutrition Security

The mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites that are produced by filamentous fungi (moulds). Some occur in food and feed due to fungal spoilage of agricultural produce. The main commodity relevant for food and feed safety is cereals, which can be either contaminated prior harvest (in the field) or post harvest (during storage).

This chapter describes exemplarily the chemistry, occurence, biological effects and regulatory aspects on mycotoxins as well as the current strategies available or envisaged to protect human and animal health from risks associated with them. This includes prevention strategies, chemical-analytical monitoring, sorting of goods as well as other remediation strategies for mycotoxin decontamination.

A vast number of mycotoxins (and other fungal metabolites not yet identified as mycotoxins) have been described and have the potential to contaminate food. However only a few are classified as relevant for public food and feed safety. These are the aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, trichothecenes like deoxynivalenol and T-2 toxin, as well as the fumonisins, while the list of so called emerging mycotoxins in food and feed is growing, such as enniatins and alternaria toxins. The reason for the rise in discussions on emerging mycotoxins in the developed world is primarily a matter of a high demand on food/feed safety in combination with progressing chemical analytical capabilities for the identification and the detected presence of mycotoxins.