Practical Guidance to Mitigation of Mycotoxins During Food Processing

Mycotoxin contamination of commodities (for example cereals & derived products, cocoa, fruit juices, dairy products) is a significant challenge for food operators in both the developed and developing regions, and climate change is anticipated to alter and in some cases exacerbate the occurrence and concentration of mycotoxins. It has been estimated that currently around 500 million low income people, living in sub- Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia, whose diet are dependent mostly on cereals are exposed to aflatoxins and fumonisins. The aim of this document is to translate the findings of a previous expert group on ‘Reactions and Potential Mitigation of Mycotoxins during Food Processing’ (Karlovsky et al., 2016) into a simplified guidance document. The report focuses on those mycotoxins that have been well characterized in terms of both occurrence and toxicity, and for which regulations and/or recommendations have been proposed and/or adopted. The data presented on occurrence, toxicity and mitigation strategies are based on recent scientific literature. This document is intended to help food operators and other stakeholders involved with mycotoxin food contamination, to understand the proven, easy to implement, and practical methods to mitigate mycotoxins per commodity. However, this document could also be useful for official control agencies interested in improving their understanding of the global mycotoxin mitigation