Mycotoxin Fact Sheets

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Basic Fact Sheets

Expert Fact Sheets

A large amount of information about mycotoxins has accumulated in the 40 years since the dramatic and costly death of 100,000 turkey poults and other poultry in the UK just before Christmas in 1960. The problem was eventually traced to a toxic contaminant later called aflatoxin that was present in groundnut meal forming part of their diet. This incident illustrated the potential threat posed by mycotoxins and ushered in the modern era of mycotoxin studies.

Basic Fact Sheets

To promote awareness of mycotoxins in food a number of general facts sheets are provided here to give an introduction to the subject in language intended to be understood both by the food technician and the layman. These fact sheets are listed as Basic Factsheets the objective of which is to describe the important mycotoxins, how they are formed and what their significance is for man and animals. Each sheet explains why the mycotoxin is important, the raw materials and foods affected, its properties and persistence, how it is detected and measured, and legislation and control measures, where they exist.

Expert Fact Sheets

In addition to the basic fact sheets, there are also a series of more specific fact sheets intended for researchers, analysts, food safety managers and other professionals who require detailed information on particular aspects of mycotoxins. The fact sheets are listed under the six different headings below, and are compiled by scientists with particular specialist expertise from the six European Institutes in the EMAN network.

To access a fact sheet, scroll down the list below and click on the title you wish to view.

Basic Fact Sheets

Factsheet 1

Introduction to Mycotoxins

Factsheet 2

The Aflatoxins

Factsheet 3

Ochratoxins

Factsheet 4

Deoxynivalenol

Factsheet 5

Fumonisins

Factsheet 6

Patulin

Factsheet 7

Zearalenone

Factsheet 8

Trichothecenes

Factsheet 9

Citrinin

Factsheet 10

Cyclopiazonic Acid

Factsheet 11

Moniliformin

Factsheet 12

Sterigmatocystin

Factsheet 13

Alternaria

Factsheet 14

Ergot Alkaloids

Factsheet 15

Other Mycotoxins

Factsheet 16

Framework for Assessing and Prioritising Mycotoxin Risk


Expert Fact Sheets

2. Test Kits and Rapid Methods

Factsheet 1

Introduction

Factsheet 2

Commercial immunological kits for the analysis of mycotoxins

Factsheet 3

Test Kits and Rapid Methods for Use in a Non-Laboratory Environment/Non-Specialist Laboratory

Factsheet 4

List of Suppliers of Mycotoxin Calibrants/Standards


3. Analytical Methods

Factsheet 1

Ochratoxin A

Factsheet 2

Patulin

Factsheet 3

Trichothecenes

Factsheet 4

Fumonisins

Factsheet 5

Zearalenone

Factsheet 6

Beauvericin and Moniliformin

Factsheet 7

Aflatoxins

Factsheet 8

Clean-up

Factsheet 9

Extraction

Factsheet 10

Thin-Layer Chromatography

Factsheet 11

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

Factsheet 12

Gas Chromatography (GC)

Factsheet 13

Liquid Chromatography With Mass-spectrometric Detection (LC-MS) and Biosensors


4. HACCP - Prevention and Control

Factsheet 1

Introduction to HACCP

Factsheet 2

The Application of HACCP to Mycotoxin Control – Initial Stages

Factsheet 3

The Application of HACCP to Mycotoxin Control – Post-harvest

Factsheet 4

A case study: EC Project

Factsheet 5

Wheat Production in Europe 1 - Pre-harvest

Factsheet 6

Wheat Production in Europe 2 - Post-harvest


5. Evaluation and Risk Issues

Factsheet 1

Decontamination, Processing Effect and Risk Analysis Aspects

Factsheet 2

Chemical Treatments for Mycotoxin Decontamination of Raw Materials

Factsheet 3

Adsorbent Compounds as Feed Additives to Reduce Mycotoxin Bioavailability

Factsheet 4

Decontamination of Mycotoxin-contaminated Commodities by Biological Agents

Factsheet 5

Effect of Food Processing on Mycotoxin Levels

Factsheet 6

Mycotoxins Risk Assessment Aspects

Factsheet 7

Framework for Assessing and Prioritising Mycotoxin Risk


6. Quality Assurance Issues

Factsheet 1

Quality Assurance for the Analysis of Mycotoxins in Food and Feed

Factsheet 2

Validation and Standardisation of Analytical Methods for Mycotoxins in Food and Feed

Factsheet 3

Reference Materials as a Tool for the Analysis of Mycotoxins in Food and Feed


7. Sampling and Legislation

Factsheet 1

Mycotoxin Legislation within the European Union

Factsheet 2

Mycotoxin Legislation Worldwide

Factsheet 3

Theory and Basic Criteria for Practical Sampling

Factsheet 4

Official and Alternative Methods for Sampling Food Commodities for Mycotoxin Analysis Within the EU


8. Surveillance

Factsheet 1

Carrying Out and Reporting Surveys and Results of Studies on the Occurrence of Mycotoxins

Factsheet 2

Surveillance and Occurrence Studies on Aflatoxins

Factsheet 3

Surveillance and Occurrence Studies on Ochratoxin A