Abstract
With an average annual production of 6.9 M tonnes and 2.5 M tonnes of maize and wheat respectively, Serbia is one of the main grain producers and exporters in Europe. Cereals are also the major staple food in Serbian diet. In view of the high cereal consumption, for human and animal nutrition, the presence of mycotoxins entails a high public health risk of chronic exposure to mycotoxins. This study provides an overview of the incidence of predominant mycotoxins, mainly in cereal and dairy products, in Serbia, in the 2004–2016, using data reported in the scientific literature. The study demonstrated that the total prevalence of aflatoxins was 62.9% (n = 12,517) with 26.2% of the samples exceeding the EU limits during this period. Results obtained for T-2/HT-2 (n = 523), deoxynivalenol (n = 2907), fumonisins (n = 998), zearalenone (n = 689) and ochratoxin A (n = 740) indicated the prevalence of 45.5%, 42.9%, 63.3%, 39.3% and 28.1%, respectively. For these mycotoxins, the EU limits were less frequently exceeded. Comprehensive collection and analysis of all accessible information reviewed in this paper showed moderate incidence and prevalence of mycotoxins in Serbia, with an exception of the 2012 drought year and the 2014 flood year.
Highlights
Fungi produce a large number of secondary metabolites, such as plant growth regulators, pharmaceutically useful compounds, pigments and mycotoxins, which do not always have an obvious biological function [1] but may represent a certain ecological advantage for the fungi
Comprehensive collection and analysis of all accessible information reviewed in this paper showed moderate incidence and prevalence of mycotoxins in Serbia, with an exception of the 2012 drought year and the 2014 flood year
Comprehensive collection and analysis of all accessible information reviewed in this paper showed moderate incidence and prevalence of mycotoxins in food and feed in Serbia, with an exception of the 2012 drought year and the 2014 flood year
Summary
Fungi produce a large number of secondary metabolites, such as plant growth regulators, pharmaceutically useful compounds, pigments and mycotoxins, which do not always have an obvious biological function [1] but may represent a certain ecological advantage for the fungi. Primarily intended for human consumption, is the dominant crop in many regions of the country and is the most important staple food in Serbia. It accounts for approximately 17% of the total sown surface [14]. Most of the data seem to originate from the Northern part of Serbia, Vojvodina, the largest wheat and maize producer in the country (in terms of surface and the yield), creating biased information on the overall spread of fungal and mycotoxin pressure in agricultural commodities. This is the first comprehensive review of the mycotoxins incidence in Serbia since the work of Levic et al [24] who participated in drafting a general report on toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins in Europe [25]
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