Patulin – a contaminant of food and feed: A review

1 Mycotoxin patulin Mycotoxins are low-molecular-weight toxic chemical compounds with low volatility, representing secondary metabolites produced by certain filamentous fungi that colonize crops, in the field or post-harvest, capable of causing disease and death in humans and animals through the ingestion of contaminated food products (Cunha et al., 2014). Contamination of food and agricultural commodities by various types of toxigenic molds (microscopic filamentous fungi) is a serious and widely neglected problem. Regardless of decades of extensive research, mold infection still remains a challenging problem (Munkvold, 2003). Poor harvesting practices, improper drying, handling, packaging, storage and transport conditions contribute to fungal growth and increase the risk of mycotoxin production (Bhat et al., 2010).