The World Mycotoxin Forum (WMF) is a leading conference series on mycotoxins where representatives of the feed and food industry, the government, and research institutions can meet. On the occasion of the 14th WMF conference held on 9-11 October 2023, R. Krska and C. Elliott published a review of the “top 5 lessons learned” at every WMF since 2001.
During the first international conferences on mycotoxins in the 1970s, sessions largely focused on aflatoxins, and the attention was on their control (due to the early understanding that eradication was not possible), their carry-over and the decontamination of mycotoxins. More than 50 years later, there are still a number of burning topics arising, such as the identification and use of suitable biomarkers to evaluate the human and animal’s exposure to mycotoxins, the efficacy of detoxifiers in animal husbandry or the new rapid screening analytical method by NIR.
Much progress has been done, yet research efforts are still needed to achieve more effective and sustainable mitigation and control measures for mycotoxins and to minimize the exposure of humans and animals around the world and especially in the Global South. It is very clear that the issue of mycotoxins has become even more relevant in times of climate change and other global challenges, topics which will continue to be discussed in future WMF gatherings.
Reference: Krska R. and Elliott C. Lessons learned from 16 editions of the World Mycotoxin Forum 50 years after the first international conference on mycotoxins World Mycotoxin Journal (2023) DOI:10.1163/18750796-20232876
Head over to the World Mycotoxin Forum’s website for the extended version of the Top 5 Lessons Learned: worldmycotoxinforum.org
