Mycotoxins are fungal metabolites which are harmful for our economy and our health.Mycotoxins can cause food spoilage.Mycotoxin's effect on human health are changed by type of mycotoxin,hoe much of it you are exposed to and how sensitice you are.
These toxins can lead to acute and chronic diseases.Some mycotoxins have carcinogenic effect,too.Most important mycotoxins are aflotoxins and achratoxins.

  

  Due to mycotoxins,all kinds of food might be contaminated.Fungal infection might occur in field during harvest,preharvest,or during storage period and processing.There for,strategies for mycotoxins are investigated in three categories;

• pre-harvest
• harvesting
• post harvest

Some factors affect mycotoxin production like;

Intrinsic Factor  Moisture content,water activity

Extrinsic Factor Climate,temperature,oxygen level

Processing Factor Drying,blending

Implict Factor Insect interactions

Plan to harvest grain at low moisture content;subject it to extreme heat, rainfall or drought conditions.Don't delay harvest of grain.It might cause increasing mycotoxin content of food.You should control all equipments which are used in harvesting and storages of crops.After harvest,determine moisture content of crop; less moisture in food is recommended.Cereals most dried in conditions that moisture level of food is under 15% in case of mold growth during storage.

1. Avoid pilling or heaping wet.Storage qualities require dry and well vented structures that provide protection from rain or protection from animals like birds.
2. Crops should be dried safe moisture levels and cooled as possible in harvest time.
3. Aerate grain,by these way you can maintain proper temperature level in storage area.
4. Use fungicides and preservatives (organic acids such as propionic acid against fungal growth.These kinds of acid can be used to kill various fungi.Thus it prevents production of mycotoxins,but only for animal feed.Keep in mind these acid can negatively influence taste or odor of grain.Keep temperature between 0°C -10°C.
5. In transporting (Transport vehicles should be dry and free of fungal growth.
6. Control water activity.Aspergillus flavus can not grow in less than 0,7 water activity.

Decontamination of mycotoxins