Aflatoxins are highly toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxins, posing serious threats to public health.
Between 2011 and 2021, a study found that aflatoxin-contaminated nuts and seeds were the dominant cause of mycotoxin notifications in the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). Out of 4,752 mycotoxin notifications worldwide, 63 percent (3,000) were related to “nuts, nut products, and seeds,” with 95 percent (2,669) of these notifications specifically linked to aflatoxins. A significant portion (52 percent) of aflatoxin notifications for nuts and seeds were for groundnuts (peanuts), with 29 percent originating from China.
Pistachios received the highest percentage of notifications among tree nuts (10 percent), followed by hazelnuts (5 percent), almonds (0.7 percent), and Brazil nuts (0.1 percent). Additionally, 91 percent of the notified nuts and nut products faced border rejection. The study highlights the need for attention to aflatoxin contamination in the nut and seed supply chain.
