Mycotoxin risk in Nutraceutical and Functional Foods

Feed and food are crucial and critical for the health related possible conditions that imply the possible onset of debilitating chronic diseases with a very high social and economic impact. The new horizon ahead is the Nutraceuticals and the Functional Foods. These are concentrates of active molecules from vegetal sources and can provide both prevention and support to pharmaceutical therapy. Nutraceuticals safety and the possible mycotoxin contamination assessment are a new challenge for the future.

The possible mycotoxins contamination in raw materials and/or in transformed foods is a serious risk. The botanical origin of many of these plants originating from areas at risk of mycotoxins occurrence and the processes of extraction and concentration of the active principles represent some of the critical points to be monitored to provide, safe and "mycotoxins free" nutraceutical and/or functional food.

Our project partner from University di Napoli di Frederico II, Prof. Alberto Ritieni, organized this workshop with a very interesting program and experts participating who presented their know-how on mycotoxins.