The Route of Mycotoxins in the Grape Food Chain

Abstract

Grapes are consumed throughout the world in different ways, ranging from fresh fruit to processed products. Regardless of the product, risk management starts in preharvest stages to control initial development of mycotoxigenic fungi and avoid consequent problems in the whole chain. The main concern in grapes and grape products is the presence of black Aspergillus species and the subsequent production of ochratoxin A. However, other mycotoxigenic fungi have been detected and may need further attention. The adoption of crop management strategies, such as selection of varieties, training system, and soil management, can reduce fungal proliferation. Biological methods can also be used to inhibit fungal contamination. These methods can substitute for chemical approaches and be used in later phases of grape processing to allow safe storage. Due to the wide range of products that can be obtained from grapes, different fungal species can be responsible for postharvest deterioration. Taking this into account, the aim of this work is to review strategies for mitigation of mycotoxin risk in the whole grape chain considering data on the occurrence and development of mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxin biosynthesis.

Mycotoxin mixtures in food and feed: holistic, innovative, flexible risk assessment modelling approach:

“…Figure 16 summarizes the effect of the main growing, handling and processing steps in the occurrence and fate of mycotoxins for the main crops included in this report ((Gonçalves et al, 2019;Gonçalves et al, 2020;Palumbo et al, 2020b); Annex A-E). Figure 16 summarizes the effect of the main growing, handling and processing steps in the occurrence and fate of mycotoxins for the main crops included in this report ((Gonçalves et al, 2019;Gonçalves et al, 2020;Palumbo et al, 2020b); Annex A-E).…”

“…This is of particular relevance for dried vine fruits (Gonçalves et al, 2020), and may be also considered for similar products (e.g., dried figs). This is of particular relevance for dried vine fruits (Gonçalves et al, 2020), and may be also considered for similar products (e.g., dried figs).…”

Occurrence and Co-Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Cereal-Based Feed and Food

“…When raw materials are mixed to produce feed or processed into food, mycotoxin co-occurrence becomes even more likely. Although potential interventions to prevent field outbreaks have been considered in several crops worldwide [7][8][9][10][11], mycotoxins still represent an important public health and economic burden.…”

Recent Advances in Mycotoxin Analysis and Detection of Mycotoxigenic Fungi in Grapes and Derived Products

“…Furthermore, it should be taken in consideration that the legislative levels are set principally for the mycotoxin most often and abundantly detected in a certain commodity, and neglect minor levels of other mycotoxins that may be present and could create an additional danger to human health due to synergistic effects and an augmented mycotoxin burden. A complete report on current legislative limits of several mycotoxins in grape and derived products can be found in the comprehensive review by Gonçalves et al [69].…”

“…In contrast to table grapes, where mycotoxin contamination risk may be reduced by visual inspection and moldy grapes would not have any market value, when the issue regards wine grapes this is not always the case. When grapes are meant for production of either a low-quality wine or a wine produced in large quantities, contamination with mycotoxins is often a problem [38,69]. From the first report on OTA in wine [70] and then after, numerous surveys have been conducted on its presence in several types of wines originating from many countries around the globe [71][72][73], and their findings rank OTA as the most frequently detected mycotoxin in wine.…”