Biological Strategies for Aflatoxin Mitigation in Food and Feed Chains in a Changing World

Aflatoxins (AFs) are secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus section Flavi, mainly Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. These species may infect food and feed along entire agri-food chains, synthesizing the toxin when environmental conditions are favorable. The scenario of climate change that the world will have to face in the next decades is expected to increase the levels of AF contamination in cereals, nuts, spices, and legumes, among other important crops around the world. This situation will have a great impact on human and animal health, as well as economic losses due to the rejection of contaminated products during commercialization. Several mitigation strategies have been implemented to counteract this problem. Some of them are intended to prevent AF synthesis, while others are designed to decontaminate the pre-formed toxin. In addition, several pre- and post-harvest strategies have shown effectiveness. Besides physical and chemical tools, biological control based on different microorganisms and the use of enzymes have been proposed as promising approaches to mitigate the risk of AF contamination. In this chapter, detailed information about two developments is presented: biocontrol based on prevention by a non-toxigenic A. flavus strain and the use of fungal laccases to decontaminate AFs. The integration of these tools will enhance the quality of food and feed, contributing to food safety in agri-food chains.

Key Words: Aflatoxins, Climate change, Food and feed chains, Mitigation strategies, Biocontrol, Enzymes.