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Introduction
Mycotoxins are fungal metabolites present in a large part of the world’s food supply
that pose as threat to human and animal health. The five (5) most important naturally
occurring mycotoxins in human food and animal feeds are aflatoxin caused by
Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus; ochratoxin A (OTA) by A. ochraceus and
Pennicilliun verrucosum; deoxynivalenol (DON) by Fusarium graminearium;
zearalenone by F. graminearium and F. culmorum; and fumonisins by Fusarium
verticillioides, F. proliferatum, and F. moniliforme.
Toxigenic fungi are prevalent in regions in climatic zones which allow for small and
large scale cereal grain production. Although the species and strains may differ among
grain-producing regions, these fungi are present in stored grains, in the dust in drying
and/or storage facilities, in soils, in wild host plant species, and in the residues of
cultivated crops. The fungi are associated with both pre-harvest and postharvest
mycotoxin contamination in cereals. The list of major mycotoxin-producing fungi that
infect cereals during pre-harvest and postharvest can be found in Annex A.
Mycotoxins are potent carcinogens, which can produce both acute and chronic
toxicities ranging from deleterious effects in the central nervous, cardiovascular and
pulmonary systems, and the alimentary tract that may finally result in death. Human
diseases like liver and esophageal cancers and nephropathy are associated with
mycotoxins.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) has set the Maximum Levels (MLs) for
the different mycotoxins for cereals and cereal-based food and feed products. These
can be found in the Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food
and Feed.
The complete elimination of mycotoxin producing organism might be difficult in humid
environments. The elaboration and acceptance of this COP will provide uniform
guidance to consider in attempting to control and manage organisms responsible for
the mycotoxin contamination in cereals. It is important for farmers/producers to realize
that Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
represent the primary lines of defense against mycotoxin contamination of cereals
during pre-harvest and post-harvest stages.
