With over 7 billion people to feed, ensuring the safety of our food and animal feed is one of the world’s top priorities. The threat? Mycotoxins—toxic compounds naturally produced by molds and fungi.

What Are Mycotoxins?

Mycotoxins are poisonous substances generated by certain molds that grow on crops like corn and wheat. They also infect Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) and Corn Gluten Meal (CGM), which are co-products of corn processing, commonly used in animal feed. Mycotoxins can infiltrate the food supply and impact both human and animal health.

Here are four of the most common mycotoxins:

• Aflatoxins – Carcinogenic compounds commonly found in corn and peanuts.
  
  
• Fumonisins – Typically affect corn and are linked to liver and lung damage.
  
  
• Deoxynivalenol (DON) – Infect grains like maize, wheat, and rice, causing digestive issues and immune suppression.
  
  
• Zearalenone (ZEN) – Disrupts hormonal balance in livestock and poses risks to pregnant women and children.
  
  

When contaminated grains are used in animal feed, the toxins can make their way into meat, milk, or eggs, compounding the threat across the entire food chain. A single contaminated batch can result in massive product recalls and significant public health concerns.

Why Multi-Toxin Contamination Is Rising

Mycotoxin contamination has existed since ancient times—early farmers knew moldy food made people sick. Modern producers can often handle single-toxin outbreaks. But today’s challenge is far more complex: multiple mycotoxins often infect the same batch of food or feed.

‍What’s driving this trend?

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‍‍1. Natural Tendency of Fungi to Create Mycotoxins:

• Fusarium produces DON, ZEN, and FUM simultaneously.
• Aspergillus and Penicillium co-produce Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A.
• Single fungi often generate multiple toxins, increasing co-contamination risk.

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2. Multiple Fungal Species in Commodities:

• Crops like maize can be infected by Fusarium, Aspergillus, and Penicillium together.
• Storage and transport introduce additional fungal species.
  
  

3. Composite Feed Formulation:

• Animal feed mixes combine multiple raw materials (e.g., corn, soy, wheat), each potentially contaminated by different mycotoxins.
• 60%+ of global feed samples test positive for ≥2 mycotoxins (especially DON, FUM, ZEN).
  
  

4. Climate Change & Environmental Stress:

• Warmer temperatures and high CO₂ favor fungal growth.
• Drought weakens plants, increasing vulnerability to fungi.
• Irregular rainfall promotes mold in storage.

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5. Agricultural & Storage Practices:

• Rain-fed farming increases field fungal exposure.
• Poor storage conditions (humidity, poor ventilation) support toxin synthesis post-harvest.

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6. Regulatory & Analytical Gaps:

• Regulations usually assess individual toxins, ignoring combined effects.
• Routine tests miss emerging or modified mycotoxins (21+ can be present in feed).

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Real-World Impacts: Health & Economic Losses

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, mycotoxin contamination costs the U.S. food industry an estimated $418 million to $1.66 billion annually. These losses come from:

• Product recalls
  
  
• Lower crop yields
  
  
• Livestock illness
  
  
• Veterinary and mitigation costs
  
  

Beyond financial costs, such events erode consumer trust and often lead to legal consequences.

Tackling Multi-Toxin Contamination: Testing Technologies

Historically, mycotoxin testing tools like ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) and LFD (Lateral Flow Devices) have helped identify contamination. However, these traditional methods:

• Take time to process
  
  
• Often test only single toxins
  
  
• Struggle with accuracy when multiple mycotoxins are present in one sample
  
  

Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI): A Game-Changer

HSI is a non-invasive, light-based technology that can test multiple mycotoxins simultaneously—in just seconds. With no expensive consumables or test kits required, HSI enables the food industry to quickly identify and isolate contaminated batches before they enter the supply chain.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

AI & Predictive Analytics                 

Modern AI tools are also proving invaluable. By analyzing historical data, weather patterns, and regional risks, AI can predict contamination risks and help producers act before mycotoxins spread. This combination of smart testing and real-time decision-making is key to staying ahead of outbreaks.

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The Way Forward

Even testing for a single mycotoxin is challenging. With multi-toxin contamination, the risks are exponentially greater. In a globally interconnected food system, early testing and swift response are essential to protecting public health. The only way to ensure safe food is by rapidly improving mycotoxin tests and test kits. 

ImagoAI has developed the world’s ONLY Hyperspectral Imaging-based test capable of testing multi-mycotoxin contamination in seconds—without the use of consumables or time-consuming lab work.

Schedule a call with us to learn more about ImagoAI’s Galaxy test.

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