What are mycotoxins and where do they come from?

A mycotoxin is a toxic chemical compound that is produced by various strains of mold. There are hundreds of known compounds, but the majority are significantly less “common” and only a handful are regulated domestically and internationally. Because mycotoxins are compounds, they inherently change the chemical composition of the product and cannot be removed, isolated or simply washed off. These toxins are known to cause illness and disease in both humans and animals that can range from immune system suppression to death.

Generally, these compounds are produced by mature molds that develop from different weather and storage conditions. Different combinations of weather patterns and storage environments produce different strains of molds and consequently the reason why differing mycotoxins are produced. Different varieties of plants and crops are more susceptible at certain stages of growth and to different weather conditions at those stages, though specific commodities are generally associated with particular toxins.

Many mycotoxins have different regulatory requirements throughout the world. Consideration should be taken when deciding on the method and detection level that best suits you or your end user’s needs. In addition to our LCMSMS regular detection assays, Trilogy also offers certain analyses by HPLC and lower limits of detection to help meet customer requirements.

Minimizing Your Risk Through Analytical Testing

Though once crops have been infected a mycotoxin cannot be removed, there are steps that can be taken to minimize the risk mycotoxins present to your processes. The first step is to partner with a trusted testing facility to provide you with unparalleled technical services and guidance on establishing a strategic testing plan. Trilogy has years of experience in recognizing and communicating areas of risk identified within a process and helping customers understand the effect this risk can have on a business.

Our laboratory processes an average of 15,000 analysis per month and we do it with the most rapid turn-around time in the industry.

Trilogy offers the highest quality mycotoxin testing services in the world. All analyses offered are provided under our ISO/IEC 17025:2017 scope of accreditation.

Available Mycotoxin Analysis Services

In the list below, you’ll find our typical mycotoxin analysis services. If you have other analytical needs specific to your product, please take a look at our custom services. We also offer consulting services to those looking to establish their own quality control protocols.

Submit Sample for Mycotoxin Testing