The individual consumer generally cannot control the presence of mycotoxins in the food he or she purchases, except to observe whether mold is present. Mycotoxin-producing fungi generally grow during the production and storage of plant products. The most common mycotoxins that can be present in foods are: aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins, patulin and ochratoxin A.
The four main aflatoxins are AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2. These toxins are produced primarily by certain strains of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus . Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is produced by mammals after consumption of feed (or food) contaminated by AFB1. Aflatoxins are tasteless, colorless, and odorless, fluoresce under ultraviolet light, and can withstand high temperatures.
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