Jr. Mycotoxins are poisonous trace organic residues of mold deterioration. Individual mycotoxins are produced by specific mold strains under more restrictive growth conditions than for the molds themselves. Mycotoxins are not automatically produced whenever grain becomes moldy. However, from a risk viewpoint, the likelihood of toxins is greater in damaged kernels than in sound kernels. Although aflatoxin has received the majority of public attention, advances in chemical detection methods have identified several others that can create problems for grain users.
All mycotoxins are present in non-uniformly distributed trace concentrations.
Normal bulk sample quality detection methods are hard to use for trace levels. Trace toxics in general will present increasing difficulty for bulk grain handlers. Health and Regulatory Effects Table 1 summarizes the major mycotoxins, producing molds, grains usually affected and the regulatory limits. The Fusarium and Aspergillus strains account for the majority of toxin problems. This understanding applies to white-certificate inspections where Official personnel collect and analyze samples, not to submitted samples where the lot identity is unknown.