Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds that are naturally produced by certain types of fungi. These fungi can be found in food such as maize, cereals, dried fruits, coffee, nuts and spices. The fungi can colonise the food before or after harvest, and even during storage, if the food is stored in warm, damp and humid conditions.

As they grow, the fungi produce mycotoxins which are chemically stable and can survive food processing. These mycotoxins can cause several different diseases and adverse health effects, including cancer if you are exposed for prolonged periods.

Several hundred different mycotoxins have been identified, but the most commonly observed mycotoxins that present a concern to human and livestock health are aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin, fumonisins, zearalenone and nivalenol/deoxynivalenol.  Cropnuts can help you identify all these different mycotoxins and help you control them in your crops and storage facilities.