An official website of the United States government.

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Research Publications (Food Safety)

This page tracks research articles published in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Recent articles are available ahead of print and searchable by Journal, Article Title, and Category. Research publications are tracked across six categories: Bacterial Pathogens, Chemical Contaminants, Natural Toxins, Parasites, Produce Safety, and Viruses. Articles produced by USDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) and FDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) are also tracked in Scopus.

Displaying 101 - 125 of 2448

  1. Risks for animal health related to the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in feed

    • EFSA Journal
    • Abstract In 2004, the EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) adopted a Scientific Opinion on the risks to animal health and transfer from feed to food of animal origin related to the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in feed. The European Commission requested EFSA to assess newly available scientific information and to update the 2004 Scientific Opinion. OTA is produced by several fungi of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  2. 338 A Survey of Mycotoxin Occurrence in Us Corn and Corn By-Product Feed Ingredients from 2018 to 2022 Harvest Years

    • Journal of Animal Science
    • The aim of this survey was to compare the occurrence and contamination levels of six major mycotoxin categories found in corn and corn by-product feed ingredients harvested in the United States from 2018 through 2022. Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites that can negatively impact animal health and performance and have been routinely found in a variety of feedstuffs including, but not limited to, cereal grains, by-products, silages, dry hays and pasture grasses.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  3. Aflatoxin levels in poultry feed: A comparison of mash and pellet forms

    • Poultry Science
    • The current research was conducted to determine and frequency of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2), in main feed ingredients (corn and soybean meal) and poultry finished feed (in mash and pellet forms). Eighty-five samples of corn, soybean meal, and poultry finished feed was randomly collected from feed mills in Iran.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  4. Dynamic geospatial modeling of mycotoxin contamination of corn in Illinois: unveiling critical factors and predictive insights with machine learning

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Mycotoxin contamination of corn is a pervasive problem that negatively impacts human and animal health and causes economic losses to the agricultural industry worldwide.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  5. Synergistic Effects of Essential Oils and Organic Acids against Aspergillus flavus Contamination in Poultry Feed

    • Toxins
    • Organic acids and essential oils are commonly used in the poultry industry as antimicrobials and for their beneficial effects on gut health, growth performance, and meat quality. A common postharvest storage fungal colonist, Aspergillus flavus, contaminates corn, the primary component of poultry feed, with the highly detrimental mycotoxin, aflatoxin.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
      • Produce Safety
      • Post Harvest
  6. Mycotoxin Occurrence in Milk and Durum Wheat Samples from Tunisia Using Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction and Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection

    • Toxins
    • Food and feed contamination with mycotoxins is a major public health concern. Humans and animals are exposed to these toxins by consuming contaminated products throughout their lives. In this study, a method based on dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME), followed by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (LC-FLD), was validated for the determination of aflatoxins (AFs) M1, B1, B2, G1, G2, zearalenone (ZEN), and ochratoxin A (OTA).

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  7. Simulating ozone degradation of deoxynivalenol and its bio-safety assessment by mouse model

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Deoxynivalenol (DON), a trichothecene mycotoxin, is one of the most prevalent mycotoxins globally, primarily produced by Fusarium species. DON exposure could cause a range of symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, gastroenteritis, growth retardation, immunosuppression, and intestinal flora disorders in both humans and animals. Recently, ozone degradation technology has been applied for DON control. However, the safety of the contaminated grain after degradation was often ignored.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  8. 231 Efficacy of Mycotoxin Mitigation Product Containing Yeast Extract on Intestinal Health and Growth of Newly Weaned Pigs Under Chronic Dietary Challenges of Fumonisin and Aflatoxin

    • Journal of Animal Science
    • This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of mycotoxin mitigation product containing yeast extract on intestinal health and growth of newly weaned pigs under chronic dietary challenges of fumonisin and aflatoxin. Newly weaned pigs (n = 48; 21 days old; 6.4 ± 0.3 kg BW) were allotted to 4 treatments based on randomized complete block design with initial BW and sex as blocks and fed for 32 d in 3 phases (P1/2/3 for 11/11/10 days, respectively).

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  9. 203 Effects of Feeding Varying Levels of Mycotoxin-Containing Corn Fines on Diet Choice and Growth Performance of Nursery Pigs

    • Journal of Animal Science
    • Mycotoxins in feed are known to negatively affect growth and other physiological processes in pigs. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of feeding diets with varying levels of mycotoxins and boron (a nutrient reported to mitigate some aspects of mycotoxicosis). Screenings from the 2020 crop year corn contained mycotoxin levels of 23,038 ppb total fumonisin, 1,446 ppb zearalenone, and 5,032 ppb total deoxynivalenol (DON)l.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  10. 202 Evaluation of Increasing Levels of Mycotoxin-Containing Corn Fines fed to Nursery Pigs on Growth Performance

    • Journal of Animal Science
    • The effects of feeding corn fines (screenings) containing mycotoxin levels at greater than the FDA cautionary levels were evaluated using crossbred pigs [n = 150, 90 barrows and 60 gilts; mean initial body weight (BW) = 6.42 ± 0.06 kg; n =] that were blocked by BW and sex, randomly allotted within block to 6 dietary treatments, and housed 5 pigs/pen resulting in a total of 5 replicates.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  11. 201 Transmission of Zearalenone, Deoxynivalenol and Their Metabolites from Sows to Piglets During Lactation with or without an Algae-Clay-Based Decontaminant

    • Journal of Animal Science
    • This study evaluated effects of an algae-clay-based mycotoxin decontaminant on levels of zearalenone (ZEN), deoxynivalenol (DON) and their derivatives in the colostrum, milk, and serum of sows, as well as in the serum of weaned piglets after maternal mycotoxin exposure from the last week of gestation to weaning (26 days).

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  12. 168 Bentley Lecture: Feeding Co-Products to Pigs to Reach Sustainable Food Production and Reduce Feed Cost

    • Journal of Animal Science
    • Changes occurred in the last two pandemic years that resulted in tremendous pressures on feedstuff supply. In Canada, causes for reduced cereal, pulse, and oilseed grain supply included a failed crop harvest in Western Canada in 2021 and increased demand for plant protein for food ingredients and for plant oils for cooking and renewable diesel added further pressure.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  13. Efficacy of Two Commercially Available Adsorbents to Reduce the Combined Toxic Effects of Dietary Aflatoxins, Fumonisins, and Zearalenone and Their Residues in the Tissues of Weaned Pigs

    • Toxins
    • Mycotoxins present a significant health concern within the animal-feed industry, with profound implications for the pig-farming sector.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  14. Zearalenone promotes porcine ESCs apoptosis by enhancing Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation and activating the JNK pathway

    • Food and Chemical Toxicology
    • Zearalenone (ZEA) is widely present in food and feed, and pigs are susceptible to its effects. This study explored the underlying function of ZEA-induced apoptosis in porcine endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) through activation of the JNK signaling pathway and mitochondrial division. This study utilized ESCs to explore the impact of exposure to ZEA. A mitochondrial division inhibitor (Mdivi) was also included as a reference.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  15. Selectivity of chemical and biological foliar treatments on the phyllosphere communities of bacteria and fungi antagonistic to Fusarium verticillioides in maize

    • Journal of Phytopathology
    • Abstract Maize grain production in the tropics is affected by Fusarium verticillioides, leading to significant losses in yield and quality. Fungicides are commonly used to control foliar diseases and increase grain yield, but have limited efficacy against F. verticillioides and may even stimulate the fungus to produce mycotoxins. Biocontrol can reduce F.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  16. Unraveling the combined deleterious effects of ochratoxin a and atrazine upon broiler’s health: Toxicopathological, serum biochemical and immunological perspectives

    • Toxicon
    • Atrazine, a herbicide, is used for eradication of broad-leaved herbs in corn crop; and ochratoxins, particularly ochratoxin A (OTA), are major pollutants of poultry diet. Existence of both of these hazardous chemicals as residues is obvious as elucidated by various epidemiological findings. The present study was designed to investigate toxicopathological, serum biochemical and immunological alterations incurred by atrazine alone and/or, in combination with OTA in broilers.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  17. Aflatoxin detoxification by thermal cooking treatment and evaluation of in vitro bioaccessibility from white and brown rice

    • Food Chemistry
    • Aflatoxins pose a severe risk to the human health. In this study, the detoxifying capacity of a thermal cooking treatment applied to white and brown rice spiked with aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 as well as the aflatoxin bioaccessibility in cooked rice after applying an in vitro digestion model was evaluated.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  18. Smart-seq2 Technology Reveals a Novel Mechanism That Zearalenone Inhibits the In Vitro Maturation of Ovine Oocytes by Influencing TNFAIP6 Expression

    • Toxins
    • Zearalenone (ZEN), a non-steroidal estrogenic fungal toxin widely present in forage, food, and their ingredients, poses a serious threat to animal and human reproductive health. ZEN also threatens ovine, a major source of human food and breeding stock. However, the mechanisms underlying the impact of ZEN on the in vitro maturation (IVM) of ovine oocytes remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate these mechanisms using the Smart-seq2 technology.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  19. Fate of aflatoxin M1 from milk to typical Italian cheeses: Validation of an HPLC method based on aqueous buffer extraction and immune-affinity clean up with limited use of organic solvents

    • Food Control
    • Aflatoxins are mycotoxins produced by several species of Aspergillus fungi which can be found in food and feed. When lactating animals are exposed to feedstuff contaminated by aflatoxin B1, they can excrete its hydroxylated form, aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), into milk.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  20. Exposure Assessment to Deoxynivalenol of Children over 3 Years Deriving from the Consumption of Processed Wheat-Based Products Produced from a Dedicated Flour

    • Toxins
    • Wheat-based products are largely consumed by children worldwide. Deoxynivalenol (DON) is known for its acute and chronic toxicity and is the most common contaminant of cereal grains. Since no legal limits are set for DON in wheat-based products and specific foods intended for children over 3 years on the market, a high risk of overexposure to this contaminant may emerge.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  21. IoT for Monitoring Fungal Growth and Ochratoxin A Development in Grapes Solar Drying in Tunnel and in Open Air

    • Toxins
    • Optimisation of solar drying to reduce fungal growth and Ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination is a crucial concern in raisin and currant production. Stochastic and deterministic analysis has been utilized to investigate environmental indicators and drying characteristics. The analysis was performed using two seedless grape varieties (Crimson—red and Thompson—white) that were artificially inoculated with Aspergillus carbonarius during open-air and tunnel drying.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  22. Advancing Mycotoxin Detection: Multivariate Rapid Analysis on Corn Using Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)

    • Toxins
    • Mycotoxin contamination on food and feed can have deleterious effect on human and animal health. Agricultural crops may contain one or more mycotoxin compounds; therefore, a good multiplex detection method is desirable to ensure food safety. In this study, we developed a rapid method using label-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to simultaneously detect three common types of mycotoxins found on corn, namely aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), zearalenone (ZEN), and ochratoxin A (OTA).

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  23. Saturated brine dissolution and liquid–liquid extraction combined with UPLC–MS/MS for the detection of typical Alternaria toxins in pear paste

    • Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
    • Abstract BACKGROUND Alternaria can infest pears to produce metabolites, which can contaminate pears and their processed products. Pear paste, one of the most important pear‐based products, is popular among Chinese consumers especially for its cough relieving and phlegm removal properties. Although people are concerned about the risk of Alternaria toxins in many agro‐foods and their products, little is known about the toxins in pear paste.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  24. A two‐year study on the occurrence and concentration of mycotoxins in corn varieties with different endosperm textures

    • Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
    • Abstract BACKGROUND Mycotoxin monitoring in cereal grains has great importance in the food and feed industries. This study evaluated mycotoxin contamination in corns with different endosperm textures in 2 years of cultivation. Samples of dent, semi‐dent, flint and semi‐flint corns from field experiments were analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC‐MS/MS).

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  25. Aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A reduction by Lactobacillus spp. during bread making

    • Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
    • Abstract BACKGROUND Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) are among the most important mycotoxins with common presence in bread and bakery products. Biological detoxification of mould food spoilage and mycotoxin contamination by lactic acid bacteria (LABs) exhibits high potential on a cost‐effective and large scale.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins