Foods are susceptible to fungal attack either in the field or during storage. These filamentous fungi may produce as secondary metabolites a diverse group of chemical substances known as mycotoxins that are toxic to animals and humans.
Mycotoxins are one of the most significant food contaminants due to their negative impact on public health, food security and for the national economy of many countries.
Mycotoxins differ in their chemical characteristics and mode of action in biological systems. There are three main genera of fungi that produce mycotoxins: Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium.
Between few hundred known mycotoxins aflatoxins, ochratoxins, zearalenone, trichotecens and fumonisims have a great toxicological and economical importance.
Mycotoxins generally are of concern in human health, food safety and trade because of their acute and chronic effects on humans and domesticated animals.
The toxicity syndromes or mycotoxicoses have posed direct or indirect health hazards to humans the world over.
The mycotoxins are typically quite heat stable and survive most food processing methods. Physical interventions can include exclusion practices, in which contaminated material is excluded from the food production chain.
Mycotoxin in food
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