Mycotoxin_Mitigation_45slides For Food and Agriculture

Mycotoxin Mitigation for Food and agriculture

1. Mycotoxin Mitigation Strategies: Pre- and Post-Harvest Approaches Training Session for STRIDE Laboratory Staff [Your Name] | [Date]

2. What are Mycotoxins? Secondary metabolites from fungi Produced in field and storage conditions Toxic to humans and animals even in trace amounts

3. Major Mycotoxins & Producers Aflatoxins – Aspergillus flavus Fumonisins – Fusarium verticillioides Ochratoxin A – Penicillium verrucosum Zearalenone, DON – Fusarium graminearum

4. Impacts on Food Safety & Defence Human health: liver cancer, immunosuppression Animal health: reduced productivity, poor growth Economic losses: trade rejections, recalls Food security & military ration safety

5. Food Chain Entry Points Field contamination Harvesting & handling Storage & transportation Processing & distribution

6. Factors Influencing Contamination Environmental: temperature, humidity, drought Agronomic: crop variety, soil, irrigation Handling & storage conditions Insect and pest damage

7. Overview of Pre-Harvest Strategies Prevent contamination early in the field Use of GAP, biological, chemical, and smart technologies

8. GAP – Resistant Varieties Breeding resistant/tolerant crops Reduced susceptibility to fungal colonization

9. GAP – Crop Rotation & Sanitation Reduces fungal inoculum in soil Breaks pest and fungal cycles

10. GAP – Timely Planting & Harvesting Avoid prolonged exposure to favorable fungal conditions Ensures crop health and reduces contamination risk

11. GAP – Pest & Weed Control Insects create entry points for fungi Weeds act as alternate hosts for pathogens

12. Biological Control – Non-toxigenic Strains Aflasafe® technology Competitive exclusion of toxigenic Aspergillus

13. Biological Control – Microbial Antagonists Trichoderma spp. as biocontrol Bacillus spp. producing antifungal compounds

14. Plant-derived Antifungals Essential oils, neem extracts Natural inhibitors of fungal growth

15. Chemical/Nutrient Management Balanced fertilization: N, K, Ca affect fungal susceptibility Judicious fungicide use (limited for mycotoxins)

16. Irrigation Management Avoid drought stress that predisposes crops Proper water scheduling to reduce fungal colonization

17. Climate-Smart Agriculture Predictive modeling of fungal growth Weather-based risk assessment tools

18. Remote Sensing & AI Tools Crop stress detection via drones and sensors Early warning systems for farmers

19. Case Study: Aflasafe in Africa Demonstrated 80% reduction in aflatoxin levels Adopted widely in maize and groundnuts

20. Discussion Prompt What are pre-harvest challenges in Malaysia/SEA? Which strategies are most feasible here?

21. Summary of Pre-Harvest Mitigation GAP practices Biological controls Chemical/nutrient management Smart agriculture tools

22. Overview of Post-Harvest Strategies Prevent fungal growth after harvest Focus on drying, storage, sorting, and detoxification

23. Harvest Practices – Timely Harvesting Harvest at maturity, avoid over-ripening Reduce kernel damage during handling

24. Sorting Practices Separate damaged, moldy, and discolored grains Reduce overall toxin load in bulk

25. Drying Practices Rapid drying to safe moisture (<13–14%) Use of sun, mechanical, or hybrid dryers

26. Storage Management Aerated and temperature-controlled silos Low humidity and clean facilities

27. Hermetic & Modified Atmosphere Storage Hermetic bags (PICS, SuperGrain bags) CO₂ or O₂ controlled environments

28. Physical Mitigation – Cleaning & Milling Remove outer layers and debris Reduces toxin load concentrated in bran

29. Advanced Sorting Technologies Optical/electronic sorters remove contaminated kernels Efficient for large-scale processing

30. Thermal Processing Roasting, extrusion reduce some mycotoxins Aflatoxins remain heat-stable

31. Chemical Detoxification – Ammoniation Effective for aflatoxins in animal feed Not suitable for human food

32. Organic Acids & Ozone Treatment Propionic acid inhibits fungal growth Ozone breaks down toxins on grain surface

33. Feed Additives Bentonite clay and yeast cell wall binders Reduce toxin absorption in animals

34. Enzymatic Detoxification Laccases and peroxidases degrade toxins Emerging biotech solutions

35. Nanotechnology Applications Nanoparticles for adsorption of mycotoxins Potential in smart packaging

36. Cold Plasma, Pulsed Light, Irradiation Novel non-thermal technologies Effective in reducing fungal contamination

37. Summary of Post-Harvest Mitigation Drying and safe storage Sorting and physical methods Chemical and biological detoxification Emerging innovations

38. Laboratory Roles Routine surveillance and monitoring Detection methods: ELISA, LC-MS/MS, biosensors Support for regulatory compliance

39. Regulatory Standards Codex Alimentarius limits EU and US regulations Malaysia/ASEAN guidelines

40. Defence/Military Relevance Ensuring safe food supply chains Protecting operational readiness of troops Reducing logistical risks in rations

41. Integrated Strategy Pre-harvest prevention as foundation Post-harvest mitigation to minimize risks Laboratory monitoring for enforcement Policy framework for protection

42. Case Study – Kenya Maize Outbreak (2004) Severe aflatoxin contamination of maize Over 125 deaths linked to unsafe food Highlight importance of early interventions

43. Group Discussion Activity Identify intervention points in farm-to-food chain Which pre- and post-harvest measures could stop contamination?

44. Key Takeaways Mycotoxins pose serious food security risks Integrated strategies are most effective Laboratories play a critical monitoring role Safe food is critical for defence and public health