Did you know that the daily consumption of the same food source can lead to the accumulation of mycotoxins in your body, potentially increasing the risk of cancer?
While we often enjoy our favorite foods, such as muesli enriched with raisins, it’s crucial to be aware of the hidden dangers that may lurk within them.
| The Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries ensures that Children should eat raisins in limited quantities due to high potential for Ochratoxin A content. Cite: “If a 10 kg child eats 20 grams of raisins a day with a typical content of Ochratoxin A of 2.5 μg/kg, nearly 1/3 of the tolerable daily intake of the mycotoxin will be filled up exclusively from the raisins. This does not leave much room for the intake of Ochratoxin A from other products consisting of Cereals. Whereas kids under 3 years old should not consume more than 50 grams of raisins per week” (Ref.: Fødevarestyrelsen, 09.08.2024) |
Relying on a single type of food daily, such as corn or oat flakes or similar bread products, is not advisable as it increases the likelihood of consistent exposure to particular mycotoxins. A varied diet with regular changes in food ingredients and meal types is essential for maintaining a healthy eating habit.
This following table sheds light on the importance of understanding these toxins and the methods for mitigating their risks, highlighting the need for informed dietary choices to promote health and well-being.
| Mycotoxin (Source Fungus) | Found in Grains | Associated Cancer | Max Permissible Level in Grains (μg/kg) | Reference |
| Aflatoxin B1 (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus) | Maize, peanuts, tree nuts, oilseeds | Liver Cancer (Hepatocellular Carcinoma) | 2-10 (Human), 20-50 (Animal) | Wild, C. P., & Turner, P. C. (2002). “The toxicology of aflatoxins as a basis for public health decisions.” Mutagenesis, 17(6), 471-481. |
| Total Aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2) (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus) | Maize, peanuts, tree nuts, oilseeds | Liver Cancer (Hepatocellular Carcinoma) | 4-15 (Human), 20-300 (Animal) | Wild, C. P., & Turner, P. C. (2002). Mutagenesis, 17(6), 471-481. |
| Ochratoxin A (Aspergillus, Penicillium species) | Wheat, barley, coffee, grapes (dried fruits) | Kidney Cancer (Renal Cell Carcinoma) | 3-5 (Human), 100-250 (Animal) | O’Brien, E., & Dietrich, D. R. (2005). “Ochratoxin A: The continuing enigma.” Critical Reviews in Toxicology, 35(1), 33-60. |
| Deoxynivalenol (DON) (Fusarium species) | Wheat, maize, barley, oats | Stomach Cancer | 500-1750 (Human), 500-12,000 (Animal) | Pestka, J. J. (2010). “Deoxynivalenol: Mechanisms of action, human exposure, and toxicological relevance.” Archives of Toxicology, 84(9), 663-679. |
| Zearalenone (Fusarium species) | Maize, wheat, barley, sorghum | Breast Cancer | 50-200 (Human), 100-1000 (Animal) | Kowalska, K., et al. (2016). “Zearalenone as an endocrine disruptor in human breast cancer.” Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, 48, 141-149. |
| Fumonisin B1 (Fusarium species) | Maize | Esophageal Cancer | 200-4000 (Human), 5000-60,000 (Animal) | Riley, R. T., & Merrill, A. H. (2019). “Ceramide synthase inhibition by fumonisins.” Journal of Lipid Research, 60(7), 1183-1193. |
| T-2 Toxin (Fusarium species) | Wheat, oats, barley | Colorectal Cancer | 100-200 (Human), 250-500 (Animal) | McKean, C., et al. (2006). “Comparative acute and combinative toxicity of T-2 toxin.” Food and Chemical Toxicology, 44(6), 817-824. |
A combination of mycotoxin reduction methods and dietary variety is key to minimizing the risks associated with mycotoxin exposure. No single method is sufficient to completely eliminate mycotoxin risks. The best approach to ensuring a safe and healthy diet involves combining multiple methods.
- Variety in Diet:
- Consuming the same types of grains, such as cornflakes, oat flakes, muesli, or similar bread daily, increases the risk of exposure to specific mycotoxins. A varied diet reduces this risk.
- Incorporating a wide range of grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, and varying meal ingredients regularly, helps minimize the risk of chronic mycotoxin exposure.
- Dietary Advice:
- Rotate different types of cereals, grains, and bread products.
- Introduce a diversity of foods into your diet to reduce the reliance on a single food source, which might be contaminated with a specific mycotoxin.
- Regularly change your meal menu to ensure a broader intake of nutrients and lower the risk of accumulating toxins from a single source.
- Combination of Methods:
- Heat treatment can reduce certain mycotoxins, but it should be combined with toxin binders and mechanical cleaning for more comprehensive control.
- Toxin binders partially mitigate mycotoxins in Animal Feed, but their effectiveness depends on various factors, and so far, there is no universal remedy for all known mycotoxins. Additionally, implementing a toxin binder program is a costly measure in optimizing feeding strategies, as feed should not exceed 65% of the production cost of animal meat. Therefore, toxin binders are often the last ingredient included in the feed recipe, frequently used in reduced quantities or eliminated altogether.
When it comes to Human Diets, incorporating dietary fibers is beneficial due to their absorbing properties, which facilitate transit through the digestive tract. Certain food additives, such as activated charcoal as a sorbent, are also frequently recommended.
- Mechanical cleaning of grains is an effective method for grain processing. Pre-cleaning removes dust, soil particles, and plant impurities, which often serve as carriers of mycotoxins and fungi picked up from the field during harvest. Thorough cleaning before and after the drying stages of grain processing ensures high hygiene standards, which helps preserve the grain and eliminates mold formation in the grain silo. Mold is also considered a source of mycotoxins. At either stage of processing, the grain can be sorted by size and weight, particularly when fungi-infected grains have been detected. Fungi that affect the kernel consume its nutrients and produce their metabolic byproducts in the form of mycotoxins. These affected kernels become shriveled and can be effectively separated from the healthy fraction of grain using a Drum Screen Grain Cleaner.
