ABSTRACT
The control of mycotoxins in foods and feeds requires a combination of surveil lance and regulatory and quality assurance procedures.
Surveillance provides valuable information on the nature and extent of mycotoxin contamination. However, a “mycotoxin problem” should not be con sidered in isolation but as an integral component of a broader study, involving interdisciplinary teams, which aims to identify the constraints and opportunities associated with the production and utilization of a particular commodity. In some instances, an evaluation of a complete commodity system (a “plough to the plate” approach) will be required, whereas in other instances a specific component of the system (e.g., a processing subsystem) will be evaluated. The adoption of a holistic, systems approach to the surveillance of mycotoxins facilitates an analysis of the many interacting components of the system (or subsystem) and, subse quently, the identification of those constraints within the system that are leading to the onset of spoilage and, ultimately, to the production of mycotoxins. Conse quently, sampling plans are required that ensure that the analytical data generated identifies those key points (“critical points” ) which are contributing to the spoil age of the commodity and to the production of mycotoxins. Once these critical points have been identified, a suitable intervention program can be implemented and/or the critical points can be integrated into quality assurance schemes (includ-
Figure 1 Sampling a 20-ton lot of unprocessed edible peanuts.
