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Title: Mycotoxins that affect the North American agri-food sector: state of the art and directions for the future

Author
item MILLER, DAVID - Carleton University - Canada
item SCHAAFSMA, A - University Of Guelph
item Bhatnagar, Deepak
item BONDY, GENEVIEVE - Health Canada
item CARBONE, IGNAZIO - North Carolina State University
item HARRIS, LINDA - Agri Food - Canada
item HARRISON, GORDON - Canadian National Millers' Association
item MUNKVOLD, GARY - Iowa State University
item OSWALD, ISABELLE - Toxalim, Research Centre In Food Toxicology
item PESTKA, JAMES - Michigan State University
item SHARPE, L - Dupont Pioneer Hi-Bred
item SUMARAH, MARK - Agri Food - Canada
item TITTLEMIER, SHERYL - Canadian Grain Commission
item ZHOU, T - Agri Food - Canada

Submitted to: World Mycotoxin Journal
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/6/2013
Publication Date: 1/29/2014
Citation: Miller, D.J., Schaafsma, A.W., Bhatnagar, D., Bondy, G., Carbone, I., Harris, L.J., Harrison, G., Munkvold, G.P., Oswald, I.P., Pestka, J.J., Sharpe, L., Sumarah, M.W., Tittlemier, S.A., Zhou, T. 2014. Mycotoxins that affect the North American agri-food sector: state of the art and directions for the future. World Mycotoxin Journal. 7(1):63-82.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This paper summarises workshop discussions at the 5th international MYCORED meeting in Ottawa, Canada (June 2012) with over 200 participants representing academics, government and industry scientists, government officials and farming organisations (present in roughly equal proportions) from 27 countries. Workshops centred on how mycotoxins in food and feed affect value chains and trade in the region covered by the North American Free Trade Agreement. Crops are contaminated by one or more of five important mycotoxins in parts of Canada and the United States every year, and when contaminated food and feed are consumed in amounts above tolerable limits, human and animal health are at risk. Economic loss from such contamination includes reduced crop yield, grain quality, animal productivity and loss of domestic and export markets. A systematic effort by grain producers, primary, transfer, and terminal elevators, millers and food and feed processers is required to manage these contaminants along the value chain. Workshops discussed lessons learned from investments in plant genetics, fungal genomics, toxicology, analytical and sampling science, management strategies along the food and feed value chains and methods to ameliorate the effects of toxins in grain on animal production and on reducing the impact of mycotoxins on population health in developing countries. These discussions were used to develop a set of priorities and recommendations.