During a Thursday afternoon session at the 2022 Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences’ (IAFNS’) Annual Meeting and Science Symposium, Felicia Wu, Ph.D., discussed her recently published study about the rising prevalence of aflatoxin in U.S. corn production due to the effects of climate change. Dr. Wu is a Distinguished Professor of Food Safety, Toxicology, and Risk Assessment at Michigan State University.
According to Dr. Wu, aflatoxin is a type of mycotoxin that is produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus, and A. flavus thrives and produces aflatoxin in warm, dry climates. “The populations that are most vulnerable [to aflatoxin] are people who live in warm climates where tree nuts, corn, and spices are staple foods,” Dr. Wu said. “…currently, the regions most affected are sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Central America, and the U.S. South.”