Abstract

REQUENA, Fanny; SAUME, Elsy  and  LEON, Alicia. Mycotoxins: Risks and prevention. Zootecnia Trop. [online]. 2005, vol.23, n.4, pp.393-410. ISSN 0798-7269.

Mycotoxins represent a latent danger for both animal and human health. These toxins can be found in a natural way in a great number of agricultural products, which are used as raw materials for preparation of animal feedings. It can also be found as pollutants or toxic residuals in animal products, such as milk, eggs, and meat. Contamination of these products can occurs in any point of the food chain, from field harvest, going through transport, storage, elaboration, and conservation. The main weapon to combat mycotoxins is trough the objective diffusion of information to all members of the productive food chain and the consequent measures of prevention and control that can be applied along this chain. The objectives of this paper were to review the risks of the main mycotoxins present in foods, their effects on the health of human and main species of farm animals, as well as the detection forms, the permissible levels, and the mechanisms of prevention and control that can be used to face them.

Keywords : Mycotoxins; polluted foods; animal risks; human risks; prevention.