Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 22 ISSUE 4
Written by Ionuţ Silviu BEIA, Roxana CICEOI, Violeta Alexandra ION, Rodica TĂNĂSUICĂ, Liliana BĂDULESCU

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds for animals and humans, naturally produced by different types of fungi. Exposure to mycotoxins through the consumption of contaminated food or feed leads, among others, to gastrointestinal and renal disorders to the point of immune deficiency and cancer. Most mycotoxins are chemically stable and persist in food processing. Given the implementation of the requirements of the European Green Deal, especially those related to organic products, and in the context of climate change, especially regarding temperature and humidity fluctuations, the increase of the presence of mycotoxins in food and feed is highly expected. However, the evaluation of the degree of mycotoxin contamination in different steps on the food chain, with fast and accurate methods, is still an issue for farmers, especially those producing inputs for feed. In the context of a rising organic products market, the frequency and severity of issues related to mycotoxins contaminations are expected to increase. The current work presents the most recent data on mycotoxins occurrence in the world and in Europe and review the mycotoxins monitoring regulations in Europe and Romania. In the same time, the paper analyses the diverse array of methods of analysis developed in recent years and propose a non-exhaustive list of authorized and accredited laboratories in Romania, where players of the agri-food chain can check the quality of the feed inputs and manage the quality of their products. Our analysis shows an increased interest of the Romanian producers on food and feed safety issues, which led to a diversification of services in mycotoxins analysis field in Romania.

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