Challenges of Mycotoxins in Food Chains: Occurrence, Detection and Control

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Mycotoxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 87

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Food, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande 96203-900, Brazil
Interests: mycotoxins; food science; analytical methods; biotechnology; enzymatic treatments
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Food, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande 96203-900, Brazil
Interests: mycotoxins; food science; contaminations; risk of contamination in the food production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mycotoxins continue to be one of the most important worldwide challenge to produce safe food, causing serious harm to both human and animal health as well as large financial losses for the agri-food industry Although the progress made in understanding their biosynthesis, toxicological mechanisms, and regulatory thresholds, critical issues persist regarding their unpredictable occurrence, the limitations of current detection methods in complex food matrices, and the effectiveness of preventive and control strategies along the food chain. Climate change, which is altering fungal ecology and affecting the occurrence of mycotoxins globally, exacerbates these difficulties even more.

This Special Issue, Challenges of Mycotoxins in Food Chains: Occurrence, Detection and Control, aims to compile the most recent studies and reviews that cover the full range of mycotoxin risk. The prevalence and co-occurrence of mycotoxins in raw materials and processed foods, the advancement of sensitive and quick analytical methods, the use of omics and biomarker-based methods, risk assessment models, and creative pre- and post-harvest control methods are all areas that are open to contributions. We also encourage studies that examine the regulatory environment and real-world uses for ensuring safe food.

Dr. Larine Kupski
Prof. Dr. Eliana Badiale Furlong
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • mycotoxins
  • food safety
  • analytical methods
  • risk assessment
  • control strategies

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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15 pages, 1561 KB  
Systematic Review
Impact of Protein Concentrate Production on Mycotoxin Mitigation: A Systematic Review
by Caroline Senna, Marianna Cruz, Larine Kupski and Eliana Badiale-Furlong
Toxins 2025, 17(12), 572; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17120572 - 26 Nov 2025
Abstract
The plant-based protein industry has explored new material sources, such as agro-industrial by-products and extraction techniques based on chemical properties assisted by ultrasound, high pressure and other tools to improve the yield and functionality of protein concentrates. However, promising by-products from vegetable processing [...] Read more.
The plant-based protein industry has explored new material sources, such as agro-industrial by-products and extraction techniques based on chemical properties assisted by ultrasound, high pressure and other tools to improve the yield and functionality of protein concentrates. However, promising by-products from vegetable processing are susceptible to incidental and natural contaminants, mainly mycotoxins. Adopting sustainable strategies and understanding how they affect mycotoxin fate during processing remains a challenge to ensure food security. In this study, a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis were conducted to identify reliable pre-treatments and treatments for producing protein concentrates and evaluate the efficiency of technologies to mitigate mycotoxin bioaccessibility. Searching for research in Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect (2010–2024) identified 3688 scientific articles on techniques to improve the yield and functionality of recovered proteins, but only three studies addressed mycotoxin fate. Aflatoxin, the most prevalent mycotoxin in raw materials, was the only one considered, highlighting that chemical and enzymatic treatments may help mitigate mycotoxicological risks in protein concentrates. Results indicate a gap in plant-based food security regarding mycotoxin contamination, which must be addressed through mitigation strategies aligned with efficient processes to ensure sustainable and safe plant protein-based foods. Full article
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