Global health and economic impacts of mycotoxins: a comprehensive review

Abstract

Mycotoxins pose significant health and economic challenges, affecting humans, animals, and commodities. This review examines fungal toxigenicity, its spread, and its impact on crops, ecosystems, and human health. The economic implications of mycotoxins, particularly their detrimental effect on the global economy, are also explored. Global agro-economic industry losses have been reported, emanating from cross-border import/export denials, product destruction, and routine analysis. Mainly victims of these exclusions are goods from regions accounting for 70% of global nut and dried fruit imports. Annual costs of mycotoxin contamination have been estimated to reach USD 100 million. The current review highlights the situation in the Americas, where Bt corn saves US farmers approximately USD 17 million annually by reducing damage from fumonisin and deoxynivalenol. In Africa and Asia, mycotoxin contamination presents severe health and economic challenges. Control measures include early harvesting, rapid drying, seed separation, sanitation, agronomic practices, insect control, the use of botanicals and synthetics, biological control, and detoxification of contaminated commodities.