Global front against mycotoxin contamination Scientists all over the world joined forces to fight mycotoxin contamination in food. This cooperation has the potential to improve current diagnosis and containment policies of fungi-related toxicities in crops. Health © Thinkstock Accumulation of mycotoxins – fungi secondary metabolites – in foods and animal feeds represents a major health threat. Nearly a quarter of global crop production is estimated to cause mycotoxin-induced toxicities in humans, causing defects in various organs. To address this problem, the EU-funded ‘Integration of mycotoxin and toxigenic fungi research for food safety in global system’ (MYCO-GLOBE) Specific Support Action (SSA) brought together eight partners from five continents in an effort to create a consortium of international experts in the area of mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi. The project aimed to identify areas of common interest by sharing results of European research with major international networks in the field of mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi. By doing so, it planned to implement the outcome of a wide range of European research projects and support cooperation with other countries. Knowledge dissemination activities ensured the communication of advances in genomics, biodiversity and new technologies in detection systems for mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi. These could prove essential for eliminating mycotoxin contamination from crops, directly benefiting agriculture and the food production industry. Finally, meetings, workshops and short mobility fellowships were organised to facilitate exchange of expertise, knowledge and workforce between Europe and the United States. These cooperation activities aim to foster future collaboration and the establishment of global policies for diagnosing and tackling mycotoxin contamination in foods.
