Mycotoxins are fungal metabolites commonly occurring
in food, which pose a health risk to the consumer.
Maximum levels for major mycotoxins allowed in food have
been established worldwide. Good agricultural practices, plant
disease management, and adequate storage conditions limit
mycotoxin levels in the food chain yet do not eliminate mycotoxins
completely. Food processing can further reduce mycotoxin
levels by physical removal and decontamination by
chemical or enzymatic transformation of mycotoxins into less
toxic products. Physical removal of mycotoxins is very efficient:
manual sorting of grains, nuts, and fruits by farmers as
well as automatic sorting by the industry significantly lowers
the mean mycotoxin content. Further processing such as milling,
steeping, and extrusion can also reduce mycotoxin content.
Mycotoxins can be detoxified chemically by reacting
with food components and technical aids; these reactions are
facilitated by high temperature and alkaline or acidic conditions.
Detoxification of mycotoxins can also be achieved enzymatically.
Some enzymes able to transform mycotoxins naturally
occur in food commodities or are produced during fermentation
but more efficient detoxification can be achieved by