Mycotoxins are small (low-molecular weight) secondary metabolites (products of metabolism not essential for survival), produced by some filamentous fungi and often found in food. Chemically-diverse, they can cause disease and death to man and livestock. Adverse effects include tissue damage, immuno-suppression and neurological disorders following short- (acute) or long-term (chronic) exposure. In many countries, mycotoxin contamination is addressed by legislation. Successful management of mycotoxins is, however, effected thorough knowledge of their cause and implementation of appropriate control mechanisms, which are verified through use of reliable sampling and robust analytical methods. European Union Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) data suggest that harmonisation of mycotoxin detection methods would improve compliance at regulatory and commercial limits.
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