Contact
Ólafur Reykdal
Project Manager
olafur.reykdal@matis.is
Fungicides and the MYCONET project / Mycotoxins and the MYCONET project
Mycotoxins are many substances that can be formed in some types of fungi. Fungicides can have a variety of harmful effects on humans and animals. All available information on fungal toxins in food on the Icelandic market was compiled. Research lacks the formation of fungal toxins in the Icelandic environment, but it is likely that some of the substances are not formed in fields in this country due to low ambient temperatures. The MYCONET project was a European network project on fungal toxins in wheat for food and feed production. A system was developed to assess the emerging risk of fungal toxins, in particular the substances formed in Fusarium fungi. A special survey was conducted on the needs of regulators, companies and farmers for information on fungal toxins. Evidence of antifungal risk was examined and ranked by importance. The so-called Delphi method was used for this. Detailed information was then obtained on the most important clues. Models were developed to predict the presence of fungal toxins based on evidence of emerging risks.
Mycotoxins are a varied group of contaminants that can be formed in molds. They can be harmful to humans and animals. Information about mycotoxins in foods on the Icelandic market was collected. Research on mycotoxins in Iceland have been limited but it is likely that some of the mycotoxins do not form in open fields because of low temperature. The MYCONET project was a European network of information sources for the identification of emerging mycotoxins in wheat-based supply chains. Main emphasis was on mycotoxins produced by Fusarium spp. The needs of stakeholders and other end users (risk managers) were investigated. The most important indicators for emerging mycotoxins were identified together with evaluation of their relative importance by the Delphi method. Information sources on these key indicators were evaluated. Finally, an information model was developed to predict emerging mycotoxin risk from indicators and information sources.