Mycotoxin Analysis

Mycotoxin analysis concerns the testing for toxic mould produced by a fungus. There are over 50,000 species of mould, most of which are harmless to humans and animals. Around 200, though, pose a risk of serious illness because they produce mycotoxins. In humans and animals, these can cause cancers, mutations and/ or birth defects; or suppress the immune system. Mycotoxins are primarily found in cereal crops when exposed to environmental stressors before being harvested; or stored in conditions that encourage mould growth. However, they can also enter the food chain through soil, when foodstuffs are grown in fields, on trees or vines. Food processing methods are not guaranteed to reduce or remove infection and may even encourage further mold growth in end-products. Some molds only produce dangerous mycotoxins at certain levels of moisture, temperature or oxygen levels in the air, for instance. This emphasises the importance of mycotoxin analysis at various stages of processing. Laboratories analyse specimens using various types of chromatography and mass spectrometry (MS). Mycotoxin test kits are also available, which offer a rapid analysis of mycotoxins occurring in commodities and some products derived from them. Mycotoxin analysis is primarily used in food, animal feed and pharmaceuticals industries.