The Threat of Mycotoxins in Food and Feed
Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi, posing serious risks to human and animal health. Even at low concentrations, prolonged exposure can lead to severe illnesses, while high contamination levels in food and feed may result in fatal consequences. (1)
These contaminants are not limited to cereals—they are also commonly found in coffee, nuts, dried fruits, and other agricultural products. (2) Their presence is closely linked to environmental conditions, making mycotoxins a persistent challenge for food safety professionals worldwide.
How Do Mycotoxins Develop?
Mycotoxin contamination can occur at multiple stages throughout the food production chain, from cultivation to storage and transportation:
- In the field – Fungal growth thrives under specific weather conditions such as fluctuating temperatures, high humidity, and drought-induced stress. (3) These environmental factors significantly influence mycotoxin production.
- During transportation – Extended storage and long-distance shipping—especially in humid, poorly ventilated conditions—can promote fungal proliferation and contamination. (4)
- In storage – Improper humidity control allows molds and fungi to develop, leading to increased mycotoxin presence in stored goods. (5)
Because mycotoxins remain stable and resistant to most food processing methods, continuous monitoring is essential—not only at harvest but throughout the entire supply chain. (6)
The Critical Role of Mycotoxin Testing in Food Safety
To ensure consumer safety and regulatory compliance, food and feed manufacturers must implement effective mycotoxin screening methods. Lateral flow tests and ELISA kits provide rapid, reliable, and scalable solutions to detect contamination at key control points. (7)
For optimal food safety management, mycotoxin testing should be conducted at three critical checkpoints:
✔ Raw material screening – Identifying contamination before processing.
✔ Storage monitoring – Ensuring safe conditions to prevent fungal growth.
✔ Final product verification – Confirming compliance before distribution. (8)
The more frequently a product is tested, the safer it becomes, reducing the risk of contamination-related illnesses and recalls. (9)
How to Choose the Right Mycotoxin Test
Selecting an appropriate screening test is a crucial step in preventing serious food safety incidents. Here are key factors to consider:
✔ Validation for your specific commodities – Ensure the test kit has been validated for the exact food or feed matrix being analyzed. If a supplier has not validated the test for a specific product—such as animal feed—the results may be unreliable. (10)
✔ Proper sampling techniques – Sampling variability is the largest source of error in determining mycotoxin levels, with studies indicating that sampling can account for up to 90% of the total variability in aflatoxin testing. (11)
✔ Standardized sampling procedures – To obtain accurate and repeatable results, samples should be collected from multiple locations within a batch. Best practices include:
- Taking at least nine different portions from various areas of a truckload. (12)
- Grinding the entire sample to achieve homogeneity before testing. (13)
- Ensuring that each test uses a representative sample from the same ground batch. (14)
Without proper sampling techniques, mycotoxin levels may appear inconsistent, leading to false conclusions about product safety. (15)
ProGnosis Biotech: A Reliable Partner in Mycotoxin Detection
ProGnosis Biotech provides state-of-the-art mycotoxin detection solutions, offering high sensitivity, accuracy, and ease of use. Our extensive portfolio of validated lateral flow tests and ELISA kits ensures comprehensive monitoring across diverse food and feed matrices.
By integrating routine mycotoxin screening into food safety protocols, manufacturers can:
✔ Minimize contamination risks
✔ Enhance product quality and compliance
✔ Protect consumer health
✔ Reduce the risk of costly recalls
With GMP-certified facilities and ISO-accredited processes, ProGnosis Biotech enables businesses to mitigate food safety risks while maintaining the highest quality standards.
Trust in innovation. Trust in accuracy. Trust in ProGnosis Biotech.
References
- Smith, J. E., & Moss, M. O. (1985). Mycotoxins: Formation, Analysis and Significance. John Wiley & Sons.
- Pitt, J. I., & Hocking, A. D. (2009). Fungi and Food Spoilage. Springer.
- Magan, N., & Olsen, M. (2004). Mycotoxins in Food: Detection and Control. Woodhead Publishing.
- Bryden, W. L. (2012). “Mycotoxin contamination of the feed supply chain: Implications for animal productivity and feed security.” Animal Feed Science and Technology, 173(1-2), 134-158.
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). (2020). “Risk assessment of mycotoxins in food and feed.” EFSA Journal, 18(4), e06121.
- Sweeney, M. J., & Dobson, A. D. W. (1998). “Mycotoxin production by Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium species.” International Journal of Food Microbiology, 43(3), 141-158.
- Turner, P. C., & White, K. L. (2009). “Analytical methods for mycotoxin detection.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 57(18), 8139-8143.
- Kuhn, D. M., & Ghannoum, M. A. (2003). “Indoor mold, toxigenic fungi, and Stachybotrys chartarum: Infectious disease perspective.” Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 16(1), 144-172.
- Wu, F. (2004). “Mycotoxin risk assessment for the purpose of setting international regulatory standards.” Environmental Science & Technology, 38(15), 4049-4055.
- Shephard, G. S. (2008). “Impact of mycotoxins on human health.” Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, 56, 211-266.
- Whitaker, T. B., Dickens, J. W., & Monroe, R. J. (1974). “Variability associated with testing cottonseed for aflatoxin.” Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, 51(8), 343-347.
- Whitaker, T. B., Slate, A. B., & Johansson, A. S. (2005). “Sampling procedures to test for mycotoxins in agricultural commodities.” Journal of AOAC International, 88(2), 299-305.
- Stroka, J., & Anklam, E. (2000). “New strategies for the screening and determination of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A.” Food Additives and Contaminants, 17(6), 386-395.
- Vargas, E. A., Preis, R. A., & Castro, L. (2001). “Co-occurrence of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in Brazilian coffee beans.” Food Additives and Contaminants, 18(2), 157-163.
- Bennett, J. W., & Klich, M. (2003). “Mycotoxins.” Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 16(3), 497-516.
