Monday 11 April 2011

Mycotoxin reduction – Global solutions

4/6 April 2011 - Cape Town South Africa
“Mycotoxin reduction – Global solutions"

The MycoRed Africa 2011 Conference brought together a range of international experts to discuss mycotoxicological issues in general and mycotoxin reduction measures in particular.

The Conference was held from under the auspices of the International Society for Mycotoxicology. The academic programme addressed a wide range of issues concerning mycotoxins, including their production by mycotoxigenic fungi, natural occurrence, their fate during processing from farm to plate, toxicology and regulatory control. Emphasis was placed on the conference theme, but prominence was given to the problems in different African environments and their potential solutions.



One of the presentations addressed the Biological control of Aflatoxins: Experiences from Africa (Ranajit Bandyopadhyay, IITA, Ibadan). IITA worked with partners to develop a safe and natural biocontrol method that drastically cuts aflatoxin contamination in African food crops. The resulting product is called aflasafe™ 
Related: PAEPARD Interview with Dr. Angelo Visconti, Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), National Research Council (CNR) Bari, Italy (Bio Circle working visit, 2nd of April 2010).

The EC FP7 MycoRed project builds significantly on the outcome of several European projects (through most coordinators/partners of FP5 and FP6). Because of the scale of the problem, which also affects European crops, the European Commission has funded a number of research projects to investigate several aspects related to toxic fungi and mycotoxins in food crops. The MYCO-GLOBE Specific Support Action of the VI Framework Programme, begun in October 2004, has been set up to exchange results with other countries that have bilateral science and technology agreements with the EU, within the wider framework of a global information system on mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi. A consortium of international experts, acting as the MYCO-GLOBE steering committee, decided to found the “International Society for Mycotoxicology” in order to more effectively disseminate knowledge and skills on Toxigenic Fungi and Mycotoxins. 


Related: 

Mycotoxins Detection Methods, Management, Public Health and Agricultural Trade

Edited by J Leslie, Kansas State University, USA, R Bandyopadhyay, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Nigeria, A Visconti, Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Italy

Content: Mycotoxins are produced worldwide by several fungi on a wide range of agricultural commodities and are closely related to human and animal food chains. Examining mycotoxins and their impact from a public health viewpoint, this book provides an overview and introduction to the subject and examines the health, trade and legislation issues involved. Management of mycotoxins is discussed in detail as well as the global problems caused by mycotoxins.