Mycotoxins: Complex risk management

Abstract

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by certain fungi present in agri-food products that cause a range of acute or chronic adverse effects – such as genotoxicity, carcinogenicity or immunosuppression – in humans and animals. They cause significant economic losses to livestock due to reduced productivity, increased incidence of disease, chronic damage to vital organs, and decreased reproductive performance. This article reviews the incidence data in Catalonia and the control strategies applicable to the mitigation of mycotoxins in food. Strategies are needed to inhibit the growth of toxigenic fungi in crops and to reduce the presence of mycotoxins in order to maximize consumer safety and to improve animal health. Strategies for the prevention and control of mycotoxins are unlikely to be achieved through a single treatment, requiring a combination of good agricultural practices, appropriate storage and environmental control conditions, and good manufacturing practices, including proper quality assurance and safe decontamination methods. The most effective methods are those that prevent fungal infection and, consequently, the production of mycotoxins.