A recent systematic review funded by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has raised concerns with the presence of unregulated harmful mycotoxins in foods, finding a total of 15 unregulated mycotoxins in 38 different combinations across 19 food categories worldwide.
Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi that are capable of contaminating a wide range of food commodities after crops are infected with fungi-producing toxins in the field, or during storage, transportation, or food processing. Mycotoxins are associated with health harms like immunosuppression, carcinogenesis, endocrine-disrupting activity, gastrointestinal disorders, and kidney damage. In Europe, the European Commission has established different maximum limits for mycotoxin exposure in adults and children through Regulation 915/2023. However, despite the existence of hundreds of mycotoxins, only a few are regulated in foods based on their widespread occurrence and known toxicological effects.