Editing Mycotoxin (section)

===In food===
Mycotoxins can appear in the food chain as a result of [[plant pathology#Fungi|fungal infection]] of [[agriculture|crop]]s, either by being eaten directly by humans or by being used as livestock feed.

In 2004 in Kenya, 125 people died and nearly 200 others required medical treatment after eating [[aflatoxin]]-contaminated maize.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Lewis L, Onsongo M, Njapau H, etal |title=Aflatoxin contamination of commercial maize products during an outbreak of acute aflatoxicosis in eastern and central Kenya |journal=Environ. Health Perspect. |volume=113 |issue=12 |pages=1763–67 |year=2005 |pmid=16330360 |pmc=1314917 |doi=10.1289/ehp.7998 |url=http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/members/2005/7998/7998.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629132515/http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/members/2005/7998/7998.html |archive-date=2012-06-29 }}</ref>
The deaths were mainly associated with homegrown maize that had not been treated with fungicides or properly dried before storage. Due to food shortages at the time, farmers may have been harvesting maize earlier than normal to prevent thefts from their fields, so that the grain had not fully matured and was more susceptible to infection.

Spices are susceptible substrate for growth of mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxin production.<ref name="pmid26229535">{{cite journal |vauthors= Jeswal P, Kumar D |title= Mycobiota and Natural Incidence of Aflatoxins, Ochratoxin A, and Citrinin in Indian Spices Confirmed by LC-MS/MS |journal= International Journal of Microbiology |volume= 2015 |pages= 1–8 |year= 2015 |pmid= 26229535 |pmc= 4503550 |doi= 10.1155/2015/242486 |quote= <small>• The results of this study suggest that the spices are susceptible substrate for growth of mycotoxigenic fungi and further mycotoxin production.<br />• Red chilli, black pepper, and dry ginger are the most contaminated spices in which AFs, OTA, and CTN were present in high concentration.</small>|doi-access= free }}</ref> Red chilli, black pepper, and dry ginger were found to be the most contaminated spices.<ref name="pmid26229535"/>

Physical methods to prevent growth of mycotoxin‐producing fungi or remove toxins from contaminated food include temperature and humidity control, [[Food irradiation|irradiation]] and photodynamic treatment.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Liu|first1=Yue|last2=Yamdeu|first2=Joseph Hubert Galani|last3=Gong|first3=Yun Yun|last4=Orfila|first4=Caroline|title=A review of postharvest approaches to reduce fungal and mycotoxin contamination of foods|journal=Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety|year=2020|language=en|volume=19|issue=4|pages=1521–1560|doi=10.1111/1541-4337.12562|pmid=33337083|issn=1541-4337|doi-access=free}}</ref> Mycotoxins can also be removed chemically and biologically using antifungal/anti‐mycotoxins agents and antifungal plant [[metabolite]]s.<ref name=":0" />