Protecting families from contaminated food and water
All fields are required
Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Our Blog on May 19, 2025
Fungus mycotoxins have been around for ages. They are naturally occurring, but historically have gone unnoticed in food poisoning. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t there. They just were not historically tested, and therefore not widely publicized.
Until now.
As fungus mycotoxins have been responsible for more and more cases of food poisoning, often with deadly outcomes, now is as good of a time as any to dive into this topic.
The not so fun-guy, fungus mycotoxins and their role in foodborne illness.
Mycotoxins are made by toxicogenic fungi. These are not your typical fungus. Your white buttons and baby bellas are safe.
As long as you wash them, that is.
No. I am talking about Fusarium, a major genera of mycotoxin-producing fungi and others like it.
The fungi live on crops, such as wheat, maize, peanuts, and corn. In low levels. Such low levels, they are often undetected.
This is not to say that they do not cause harm.
According to a report published by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Microbiology, “more than 500 fungal species are capable of infecting the human body, which causes at least 1.5 million deaths globally each year.”
In addition to the impact on human health, plant pathogenic fungi can cause “economic losses of upward of hundreds of billions dollars each year.”
Common foods most likely to contain fungus mycotoxins include:
Previous estimations by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations indicate that approximately 25% of the cereals produced worldwide are contaminated by mycotoxins. However, more recent studies indicate that the contamination rate could be much higher. In fact, as much as 60% to 80% of cereals could contain this harmful substance.
There are a variety of different fungus mycotoxins.
Aflatoxins, for example, are produced by Aspergillus species. These toxins, most associated with liver cancer, frequently contaminate nuts, spices, and grains in tropica regions.
Ochratoxin A, on the other hand, is most often found in coffee, wine and cereals. These toxins are most associated with kidney disease.
Fungus mycotoxins can have serious health effects. Even at low concentration. The most common source of mycotoxin exposure in ingestion of contaminated foods. Though farmers and cereal processing workers may be at risk of airborne inhalation.
Common adverse effects of fungus mycotoxins food poisoning include acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, and reproductive effects
Acute toxicity occurs shortly after consumption. This type of exposure may result in diarrhea, vomiting, and in severe cases, death.
Long-term exposure to fungus mycotoxins, even at low levels, may lead to chronic toxicity. This type of exposure has been associated with higher rates of liver cancer and suppression of the immune system. Generational health impacts, including impaired cognitive development and increased susceptibility to chronic illnesses are also concerns with chronic exposure and toxicity.
Chronic exposure may contribute to reproductive effects related to fungus mycotoxin food poisoning. This has been linked to infertility and developmental issues in fetuses and children.
Some scientists are pointing at climate change as a factor in the rise in fungus mycotoxin occurrence.
These fungi enjoy warm, moist environments. As temperatures rise and humidity follows, it is no surprise that fungi like Aspergillus and the infamous Fusarium have increased in numbers. This increase in global temperatures creates more favorable conditions for these fungi. And they are responding.
Alternatively, drought conditions also contribute to mycotoxin production. Crops like peanuts and corn have weakened natural defenses under drought conditions. Making them more susceptible to mycotoxin growth, particularly aflatoxin.
Climate change also brings on increased likelihood of crop pests, which exacerbates the plant’s potential vulnerability. Insect damage allows fungi easier access to plant tissues. Thus, promoting fungal growth and increased toxin production.
Mycotoxins enter the food supply through crop fungal infections. A phenomenon that can happen at any stage of crop production. From planting to harvesting, and even storage, there are many opportunities for contamination to occur.
So, what can be done about it?
Turns out, there may be a few ways to intervene at different steps in the process.
Certain crop management practices can reduce the occurrence of fungal mycotoxin growth. Whether it is rotating susceptible crops with those that are less vulnerable to help break the cycle of contamination or encouraging the use of crops that are already naturally more resistant. Selecting what and where to plant can have a significant impact. Additionally, farmers may consider timing. Planning both planting and harvesting periods where crop have minimized exposure to high humidity and temperatures that favor fungal growth could be a mitigating factor, where applicable.
While technology has improved to use optical sensing to monitor crop quality, temperature conditions, and early signs of disease or plant stress, other lower-tech options can be implemented for even the simplest of farm operations.
Routine field inspections to monitor early signs of fungal infection, for example. When climate conditions are at most favorable for fungal growth, inspection rates can be increased.
Additionally, regular laboratory testing for susceptible crops at different stages of production can demonstrate if controls are working. Samples can be tested for potential mycotoxin contamination.
To reduce the risk of fungal growth, crops should be dried properly and immediately after harvest. Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium thrive in moist conditions. These mycotoxin-producing fungi can be kept in check by keeping proper humidity and temperature control during storage and regularly monitoring for growth during this process.
Food manufacturers and retailers can reduce the risk of fungus mycotoxin contamination in their products by working with suppliers who are certified to international standards. Accreditations such as Global G.A.P or BRCGS indicate that the supplier controls have been independently assessed by an auditor and are up to agreed upon standards.
You don’t know what you don’t know. But that doesn’t prevent problems and contamination. Raising awareness of mycotoxin risk among employees helps ensure that controls are properly followed. Training plans for applicable industries should include best practices to reduce the risk of mycotoxin contamination.
While fungus mycotoxins may not be as well-known as other foodborne contaminants. Most people have heard of E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. But they are just as dangerous. If not, more so, because their existence is not as widely thought of. Even when diagnosing illness, resulting in underdiagnosis and untreated chronic conditions.
While the above bad bugs may make headlines, mycotoxin alerts often go quietly unnoticed.
Change, while necessary, is slowly coming.
If you’d like to know more about food safety topics in the news, like “Not So Fun-Guy, Fungus Mycotoxins Emerge as Deadly Food Poisoning Topic,” check out the Make Food Safe Blog. We regularly update trending topics, foodborne infections in the news, recalls, and more! Stay tuned for quality information to help keep your family safe, while The Lange Law Firm, PLLC strives to Make Food Safe!
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)