FOOD SAFETY AND REGULATION
by Admin
Posted on 08-02-2025 01:56 PM
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of molds that contaminate a vast range of crops and fruits. This contamination poses a significant health risk to both humans and animals due to the inherent toxicity of these compounds. As a result, ensuring food and feed safety is of paramount importance. To tackle this issue, over 100 countries have established regulations that govern the presence of mycotoxins in food and feed. In response to these regulations, there is a growing demand for reliable and efficient mycotoxin testing solutions that not only ensure compliance but also enable effective mycotoxin risk management.
With over 40 years of experience in mycotoxin detection, romer labs is a leader in the field, offering an extensive portfolio of comprehensive testing solutions.
To protect consumer safety there are rules and strict limits in place for aflatoxins, ochratoxin a, patulin and fusarium toxins in certain foods. Maximum levels (mls) are established in: assimilated regulation (eu) 1881/2006 for england and wales regulation (eu) 1881/2006 for northern ireland if a food business operator wishes to have samples analysed for mycotoxins in the uk, it is recommended that a laboratory accredited for mycotoxin analysis is used. Further information on accredited laboratories can be found on the united kingdom accreditation services website.
Toxicology and Human Health
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Where Are Mycotoxins Found?
Mycotoxins are toxins produced by molds (fungi) and can accumulate in crops, where they pose health hazards to humans and animals. Mycotoxins are estimated to affect 25% of the world’s crops and cost us agriculture approximately $1 billion each year. Mycotoxin groups trichothecenes trichothecenes are produced by multiple fungi, but those produced by the fungus fusarium are of greatest concern to human and animal health, because of the widespread occurrence of these toxins in cereal crops. When some fusarium species infect crops, such as barley, corn and wheat, they can produce trichothecenes in infected grain. If humans or animals eat trichothecene-contaminated grain, they can experience health problems, including vomiting, hemorrhaging in the digestive tract, nausea, diarrhea, and fever.
Typically, mycotoxins are created by the following conditions: environmental factors poor harvesting practices of crops exposure during transportation, processing, selling of crops usually, mycotoxins are found in warm and humid conditions. They may be more widespread in our era than in previous times due to global warming. Mycotoxins are spreading in low-income countries where many of the crops they thrive on are staple foods. Often in these countries, people are exposed to smaller amounts of mycotoxin for longer periods. Richer countries have more stringent processes to ensure that this does not happen. There are currently experiments being done to create easy mycotoxin removal techniques that can be used at home, and especially in tropical environments.
Toxin produced by a fungus a mycotoxin (from the greek μύκης mykes, "fungus" and τοξικός toxikos, "poisonous") is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by fungi and is capable of causing disease and death in both humans and other animals. The term 'mycotoxin' is usually reserved for the toxic chemical products produced by fungi that readily colonize crops. Examples of mycotoxins causing human and animal illness include aflatoxin , citrinin , fumonisins , ochratoxin a , patulin , trichothecenes , zearalenone , and ergot alkaloids such as ergotamine. One mold species may produce many different mycotoxins, and several species may produce the same mycotoxin.
Mycotoxins are substances produced by mould that poison food. They are harmful to humans and animals when consumed. According to the food and agricultural organisation (fao), about 25% of the world’s agricultural harvests are contaminated by mycotoxins. Though reliable data is lacking, mycotoxin contamination is widespread in africa. It often takes the form of aflatoxin in cereal crops and has led to health issues such as chronic gastritis, diarrhoea, kidney problems and liver cancer. Biologist oluwadara pelumi omotayo studied how mycotoxins contaminate ginger in south africa. We asked her to explain what they are and how to avoid the danger.