Food Safety and Fungal Toxins: Challenges and Advances in Control and Risk Assessment

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Toxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 August 2026 | Viewed by 753

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Research Group in Alternative Methods for Determining Toxic Effects and Risk Assessment of Contaminants and Mixtures (RiskTox), Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Universitat de València, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, Burjassot, 46100 València, Spain
Interests: toxin; toxicity; contaminant detection; risk assessment; chromatography; spectrometry; mass spectrometry; analytical chemistry
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungal secondary metabolites, particularly mycotoxins, represent a persistent and complex hazard in food systems, with implications for human and animal health, international trade, and regulatory frameworks. Despite significant progress in food safety management, the resilience of toxigenic fungi and the stability of their metabolites under various environmental and processing conditions continue to challenge detection, control, and risk mitigation efforts.

This Special Issue invites high-quality original research articles, reviews, and short communications that address recent advances in the detection, quantification, and monitoring of fungal toxins across diverse food matrices. Contributions focusing on novel analytical methodologies (e.g., biosensors and omics-based tools), predictive modeling, fungal ecology, toxin biosynthetic pathways, and control strategies—including biocontrol, processing interventions, and innovative preservation techniques—are highly encouraged. We also welcome the submission of studies on toxicological evaluation, dietary exposure assessment, and the development of risk management frameworks in alignment with international safety standards.

By integrating multidisciplinary approaches, this Special Issue aims to deepen the scientific understanding of fungal toxin dynamics and support the development of robust, science-based interventions for enhancing food safety. Researchers working at the intersection of mycology, food science, toxicology, and risk analysis are encouraged to contribute to this issue.

Prof. Dr. Yelko Rodríguez-Carrasco
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • mycotoxins
  • fungal contamination
  • food safety
  • toxin detection
  • risk assessment
  • foodborne toxins
  • analytical methods
  • mycology and food systems
  • toxin control strategies
  • food toxicology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

33 pages, 1818 KB  
Review
Biocontrol of Mycotoxin-Producing Fungi by Lactic Acid Bacteria
by Alice N. Mafe and Dietrich Büsselberg
Foods 2026, 15(11), 1913; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15111913 - 28 May 2026
Viewed by 431
Abstract
Fungal contamination and the buildup of mycotoxins are ongoing threats to global food safety, especially in tropical areas where environmental conditions favor the growth of toxigenic fungi such as Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp., and Penicillium spp. These toxins contaminate various food products and [...] Read more.
Fungal contamination and the buildup of mycotoxins are ongoing threats to global food safety, especially in tropical areas where environmental conditions favor the growth of toxigenic fungi such as Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp., and Penicillium spp. These toxins contaminate various food products and are linked to serious health problems, including liver toxicity, nerve toxicity, immune suppression, and cancer. Traditional methods to reduce these risks, such as chemical preservatives, heat treatments, and irradiation, have limited success in fully eliminating mycotoxins due to their stability, safety concerns, and declining consumer acceptance of synthetic additives. As a result, there is increasing interest in biological options that are safer and more sustainable. This review critically examines the potential of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from local fermented foods as multifunctional biocontrol agents that inhibit toxin-producing fungi, detoxify mycotoxins, and reduce cellular toxicity caused by these toxins. Scientific studies were retrieved from PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, focusing on research published from 2011 to 2025 on antifungal activity, detoxification mechanisms, and cellular toxicology. The evidence shows that probiotic LAB employ various strategies, including producing organic acids, secreting bacteriocins, competing with fungi, adsorbing toxins onto their cell walls, and enzymatically transforming mycotoxins into less harmful substances. Recent findings also indicate that metabolites from LAB may influence oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death in mammalian cells exposed to mycotoxins. Overall, probiotic LAB from native fermented foods offer promising biological approaches to improve food safety and reduce health risks associated with toxins. Future studies should focus on omics-based analysis of detoxification pathways, testing in real food systems, and translational research to support regulatory approval and large-scale use of probiotic-based strategies for mycotoxin control. Full article
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