How to Implement a Mycotoxin HACCP System

The analytical method selected depends on a number of factors such as the type of sample, the levels of mycotoxins to be detected, the control point to be monitored, and the availability of technological, economic, and human resources to perform the determination.⁷

The fastest methods used in the food industry are those based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technology, using wells that provide quantitative results of many products at a reasonable cost. It is important to take into account the fact that the individual test kit must be validated for the mycotoxin and commodity in question. Therefore, when choosing a determined ELISA test kit it is important to confirm that it is applicable to the product to be analyzed. Many times, these types of determinations, which take between 10 and 20 minutes, are used by industries for monitoring all the control points, even those requiring an analytical reference system.^8-11

There are other commercially available methods for detecting mycotoxins that provide even faster determination, and these are especially useful at the reception point of raw materials. These are also immunological methods, like ELISA, but are performed using a strip-type format that visually indicates the presence or absence of a particular mycotoxin using a reference cut-off point. Alternatively, the strip is read with a specific reader that is able to supply the user with a quantitative test result.

Biosensors are being evaluated for use with liquid products such as wine, milk, and beer, and these will have the advantage of online results, ensuring permanent control point monitoring. The systems that have been developed so far require extracting the mycotoxin from the substrate with a solvent, but methods that can use the liquid matrix itself are under investigation.^12-13

The fungus aspergillus flavus: Mycotoxigenic or not?

Confirmation and Certification

The quality management plan must consider the correct functioning of the monitoring methods. There are two ways to ensure this, and because they complement each other, both options can be used to verify that the procedures provide precise and exact results.

The first option involves using matrix reference materials or internal control samples. These are product samples used to audit the analytical procedure, because they contain a known level of contamination with the mycotoxin of interest and their certificates include the value of uncertainty of determining the mycotoxin in the product. This reference or control sample is tested in the analytical system used, at a frequency established according to the number of analyses performed at that point.

The other option is to send samples from the different monitoring points to contract laboratories with analytical systems that can certify the value of the samples. This is also performed to confirm results that are very close to the acceptance or rejection point of the critical limit established. These laboratories use chromatographic techniques that are highly sensitive and precise, such as HPLC, TLC, LC-MS/MS, and GC-ECD. If possible, the laboratory must also be a certified or accredited entity (e.g., ISO 17025) or have a good quality assurance plan to guarantee accurate results that are independent of the equipment or professionals employed.^15-16

Throughout this article, compliance with the premises described at the beginning has been outlined. You must understand that the chemical compound being analyzed is characterized as a biological hazard because it is related to the presence of a mycotoxigenic fungus.

Monitoring mycotoxins throughout the production chain is one safety measure. Other tools that can be used to prevent contamination include monitoring for environmental conditions that might favor the production of mycotoxigenic fungi, by measuring water activity and temperature in exposed areas.

Patricia Knass studied biochemistry at the National University of Misiones in Argentina and earned her master’s in food technology at the University of Buenos Aires. Since 2006, she has served as a technical adviser to Romer Labs. She is also the co-founder and CEO of AgriNEA, a consultancy company with offices in Argentina and Paraguay that focuses on food safety and agriculture.