Which mold can make bad toxins in food?
Data on the presence or absence of genes encoding essential proteins for ochratoxin and fumonisin biosynthesis in Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus welwitschiae
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The fum8 gene was found in 68.5% of strains, far more common than genes for ochratoxin.
Ochratoxin is more widely studied and regulated, but this shows fumonisin potential is actually more prevalent in these food molds.
Practical Takeaways
Support food producers who test for mycotoxigenic mold strains, especially in coffee, nuts, and dried fruits.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The fum8 gene was found in 68.5% of strains, far more common than genes for ochratoxin.
Ochratoxin is more widely studied and regulated, but this shows fumonisin potential is actually more prevalent in these food molds.
Practical Takeaways
Support food producers who test for mycotoxigenic mold strains, especially in coffee, nuts, and dried fruits.
Publication
Journal
Data in Brief
Year
2016
Authors
F. P. Massi, D. Sartori, L. S. Ferranti, B. T. Iamanaka, M. Taniwaki, M. Vieira, M. Fungaro
Related Content
Claims (6)
Some fungus used in making enzymes for industry can also make a harmful substance that might cause cancer in people.
About 1 in 6 mold strains found in Brazilian food can potentially make two different harmful toxins, based on their genes.
About a third of certain mold strains found in Brazilian food don’t have the genes needed to make two harmful toxins, which means they probably don’t produce them.
A lot of mold found in Brazilian food has the gene needed to make a toxin called fumonisin — about 7 out of 10 samples — and sometimes it also has genes for another toxin, which means these molds could potentially produce harmful substances.
Some mold found in Brazilian food has the genes to make a harmful toxin called ochratoxin — about 1 in 30 of these molds could make it, but not another toxin, suggesting a small risky group we should watch.