Mycotoxin contamination has been one of the most important and more serious problems in food and feed safety. In Asian countries, aflatoxins, hepatocarcinogenic mycotoxins, have posed a threat to human and animal health for a long time. Mycotoxigenic fungi including aflatoxigenic fungi can contaminate a variety of agricultural commodities during in pre- and postharvest processes. Now, mycotoxins are recognized to be hazards in food and feed chain, with serious economic impact on international trades of food and feed. Recent development of techniques of molecular genetics contributes to understanding fungal diversity of the toxigenic species in the food chain. Surveillance of mycotoxin contamination by advanced analytical method using equipment with higher resolution can evaluate health risk correctly. These investigations conducted by modern techniques have accumulated information on the mycotoxin contamination and health risk in Asian countries. And, it is increasingly important to exchange and share the scientific information to plan strategy for correct mycotoxin prevention and reduction. Reducing mycotoxin contamination in an agricultural commodity has been recognized to be more important in saving natural resources, now.
This symposium will focus on mycotoxin problems in Asian region and aim to provide big opportunity for mutual understanding of the problem facing in each country and to strengthen network among the countries for advancing the cooperative partnership.