How can they be controlled?
The ability of aflatoxin-producing fungi to grow on a wide range of food commodities and the stability of aflatoxins in foods mean that control is best achieved by measures designed to prevent the contamination of crops in the field and during storage, or detection and removal of contaminated material from the food supply chain.
For primary producers
Pre-harvest control of aflatoxins is best achieved through general Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) to include such measures as:
Land preparation, crop waste removal, fertiliser application and crop rotation
Use of fungus- and pest-resistant crop varieties
Control of insect pests
Control of fungal infection
Prevention of drought stress by irrigation
Harvesting at the correct moisture level and stage of maturity