An overview of mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi in Portugal : data collected from 1999 to July 2003

Abstract

Fungi are cosmopolitan and ubiquitous and have a strong ecological link with vegetable products. The natural mycobiota existing in conjunction with food and feed are of interest to society, since many of these fungi can produce compounds of interest (e.g., antibiotics, enzymes or organic acids). On the other hand, they may also be detrimental by promoting food and feed deterioration. Often, the mycobiota of food commodities is dominated by toxigenic species, such as Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium, which may produce mycotoxins with effects on human and animal health. Aflatoxins, ochratoxins, patulin and the Fusarium toxins are considered to be the most important of the mycotoxins. Losses arising from the presence of mycotoxins have a large impact on the economy of countries.