# The Role of Fungi in Food Production and Processing
## 2 Understanding the Research Prospects
### Mycotoxins and Food Safety  
#### 2.5.1 Examination of Mycotoxins Produced by Fungi and Their Implications for Food Safety  
Representative genera of mycotoxicine fungus are _Aspergillus_, _Penicillium_, and _Fusarium_; significant food contaminants or plant pathogens have been identified to include _Trichoderma_, _Trichothecium_, and _Alternaria_[98; 99]. Certain environmental conditions drive the formation of mycotoxins; however, the degree of contamination varies depending on the location, agricultural practices, and the vulnerability of commodities to fungal penetration throughout the storage and processing periods. As a result, depending on their ecological growth needs, fungi that produce food toxins are divided into two categories: fungi of the fields and storage fungi [100]. Industrialized countries have lower risks of mycotoxin exposure due to agricultural practices, efficient quality control, and storage systems, although a recent survey [101] revealed that a large number of developing regions are at high risk due to the severe to extreme prevalence of mycotoxins. For example, mycotoxins are especially common throughout South Asia and throughout North and Central America. In other regions, there is a moderate to strong presence, including Europe, Oceania, and Southeast Asia. Remarkably, by-products from both housed and free-range animals have been shown to contain mycotoxins, in addition to grains, concentrates, and silage. The AFM1 toxin (aflatoxin M1) has been found in free-range cow milk even above European borders. The T-2 (trichothecene 2) and HT-2 (hydroxy trichothecene 2) toxins are members of the TH (trichothecenes) and ZEA (zearalenone) families. These mycotoxins have been discovered in pasture grasses. In other words, mycotoxins have been found in animals regardless of whether they are reared with an intermediate, extensive or intensive method of production. As a result, nomadic and mixed crop-livestock systems based on fodder, crops and animal waste have a risk of mycotoxin contamination (Table 1). Aflatoxin (AF), ochratoxins (OTA), fumonisins, trichothecenes (TH), patulin (PAT), citrinin (CIT) and zearalenone (ZEA) are commercially important mycotoxins that have been detected in the research. Mycotoxins have an equivalent impact on growers and consumers in terms of health and profitability. Wheat, millet, corn, sorghum, soybeans, peanuts and their products, as well as by-products created from contaminated staples, are the most sensitive crops to mycotoxins. Food scraps, moldy bread, cottonseed, spices and other foods, as well as cereals, pulses, oilseeds and industrial by-products diverted into animal diets, can all contain mycotoxins [102]. The most common contaminants that damage crops during the pre- and post-harvest periods are fungi (_Aspergillus_, _Fusarium_, _Penicillium Alternaria and Claviceps_) and saprophytic fungi.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Mycotoxins** & **Genus/Species** & **Major Food** & **Toxic Effects and Diseases** \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Aflatoxin} & _A. flavus_ & Cereals, & Hepatotoxicity, teratogenicity, immunological system \\  & _A. parasitic_ & feeds, & suppression, altered DNA \\  & _A. nomits_ & oilseeds and pulp, & structure, hepatitis, bleeding, and kidney lesions are among the factors that can cause \\ \cline{1-1}  & _Penicillium_ sp. & coconut & cancer \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 1: Some important mycotoxins and their effects on humans and animals [101].