Prevention and Control Strategies of Aflatoxin Contamination

Postharvest diseases are diseases that develop on the harvested parts of plants such as seeds and fruits and also on vegetables. Mycotoxins, the natural contaminants of food and agricultural products all over the world, have emerged as an issue of serious concern as they are associated with a wide array of negative effects and other complications. The production of aflatoxins is associated with spore production by species of Aspergillus . Aspergillus is found to proliferate profusely in tropical and subtropical regions of the world as the environmental conditions favor their growth and sporulation. Although good agricultural practices are being tried to minimize aflatoxin contamination at field level, various other methodologies have been adopted to eliminate these toxins when present in harvested products. Chemical treatment is suggested with the aim of reducing unavoidable and unpredictable aflatoxin contamination. Fungicides are utilized widely for postharvest disease control in foods and fodder grown in the field.