Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of certain moulds, mainly Aspergillus, Penicilium, Fusarium and Alternaria. They can occur in almost all products consumed by humans and animals. They are toxins resistant to technological processes (e.g., cooking, frying, baking, distillation, fermentation) and are most frequently found in products of plant origin such as: cereals, cereal products, vegetables, nuts.
The development of moulds and the mycotoxins they produce is influenced by the temperature and humidity of the air, the water content of the raw material and the degree of maturity of the plants. In addition to the high health risk, mycotoxins can cause serious economic losses. This may be the result of unfavourable weather conditions during the growing or harvesting period or of incorrect storage. It should also be taken into account that, with changing environmental conditions, a single mould species can produce several mycotoxins.
According to FAO estimates, mycotoxins may contaminate up to 25% of the world’s food production, and complete elimination of mycotoxins is an essentially unattainable goal. More than 400 mycotoxins are currently known, of which about 20 pose a serious threat to crops that are a source of food for humans and animals. In food and feed, the most commonly determined mycotoxins are:
- aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2 (aflatoxin M1, mainly in milk and products).
- ochratoxin A,
- trichothecenes (e.g. deoxynivalenol, T2, HT-2),
- fumonisins B1, B2,
- zearalenone,
- patulin,
- ergot alkaloids.
Mycotoxins can form at various stages of food production, from plant vegetation, through harvest, to the storage of the harvest or even the final product. During the vegetation period, phytopathogenic fungi strains, e.g., of the genus Fusarium, are the source of mycotoxins, whereas during storage, saprophytic fungi predominate, especially of the Aspergillus and Penicilium genera, whose mycotoxic activity depends on improper storage conditions, which may result in production of aflatoxins, ochratoxin A or citrinin (so-called storage mycotoxins).
Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs, as amended, sets maximum levels for mycotoxins which pose a potential risk to human health and life. In addition to the most commonly determined ones mentioned above, maximum levels have been set for citrinin.
The study of mycotoxins in food and fodder was of particular interest to the J.S. Hamilton Poland Laboratory as early as in the 1960s, immediately after the first reports of the threat in England, where mass epidemics of poultry (“turkey X disease”) caused by mouldy fodder were reported. Over several years, our laboratory developed a method for the determination of aflatoxins using high-performance liquid chromatography. As chromatographic techniques developed, J.S. Hamilton Poland Laboratory validated and accredited methods of analysis of mycotoxins subject to monitoring, using various chromatographic techniques:
- high performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection (HPLC-FLD),
- liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC‑MS/MS).
The laboratory also performs tests on herbal raw materials developed based on the requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia for the determination of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 and ochratoxin A.
Contact our team today to learn more about our methods – or to schedule tests with J.S. Hamilton.
