The 14th edition of Global Mycotoxin Forum was held in Antwerp, Belgium, from October 9 to 11, 2023. The conference brought together 420 participants, who joined a 3-day program packed with presentations, workshops and networking opportunities. All this took place in a unique conference center located in Antwerp Zoo.
As with each edition of the Global Mycotoxin Forum, the conference was co-organized by local presidents. For this year’s edition, the local conference chairs were Professor Sarah De Saeger and Professor Marthe De Boevre from Ghent University.
The topic of discussion was current challenges impacting the food system and how to ensure the safety and security of food and food systems, with a focus on mycotoxin management strategies.
Food system resilience is the ability of a food system to provide sufficient, appropriate and accessible food to all, in the face of diverse and even unforeseen disruptions.
Professor Chris Elliot of Queen’s University Belfast
A resilient food supply chain
According to Professor Chris Elliot of Queen’s University BelfastIn the UK, big things are happening right now that will lead to massive changes to our food system. The 4 drivers of this change are climate change, war, geopolitics and deglobalization. To meet these challenges, we must move toward a resilient food system, Elliott explained. “The resilience of a food system is the capacity of a food system to provide sufficient, appropriate and accessible food to all, in the face of various, even unforeseen, disruptions. »
Food without toxins is an illusion
Professor Rudolf Krska of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
Is our food free of toxins?
Food safety is one thing, but what about food safety? The majority of consumers assume that our foods are safe, after all, mandatory food quality standards are high, but are our foods really free of toxins?
Professor Rudolf Krska from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria, gave a clear answer to this question: “A diet without toxins is an illusion.” The professor acknowledged that our food is safer than ever, but a study shows that in Europe people are still exposed to harmful chemicals and toxins. Even within legal limits, low levels of exposure could pose a risk to human health. Aflaxtoxins are one of these high-risk food contaminants, due to their potential role in the development of liver cancer. On the other hand, it is important to keep in mind that “humans are detoxification machines” capable of overcoming the harmful effects of these substances, Krska emphasized. He adds: And a healthy, balanced diet is the best way to avoid exposure to excessive doses of harmful substances.
The impact of climate change
Not only was the location of the Global Mycotoxin Forum unique, with a whale skeleton hanging from the roof of the conference room, but also the weather. Warm and sunny is not what you would expect at the beginning of October in Belgium. And while it was nice to get some sunshine during the break, it made the impact of climate change real.
The impact of climate change is clearly one of the major concerns of the mycotoxin community. Krska explained that climate change increases the risk to food safety, due to aflatoxins and other mycotoxins: “Climate change will have an effect on the geographical appearance of mycotoxins and we also expect major variations in mycotoxins. emerging and hidden. There is still a lack of data on these mycotoxins and therefore little knowledge about their effects. Regulatory programs and standards for these emerging toxins are needed, according to the professor, because exposure could pose a potential health risk to consumers.
Scientists are often unaware of the need to properly collect, preserve and share data.
Chiara Dall’Asta from the University of Parma, Italy
Data sharing
Data availability and sharing was a recurring topic of discussion at the conference. Not only is there a lack of data on emerging and masked mycotoxins, but it appears that there is still little or no data on the link between climate change and the appearance of mycotoxins. To be able to make predictions based on the occurrence of mycotoxins, it is necessary to share more data with the research and business community.
The public was asked to answer a survey question about data sharing:
- 10% of participants indicated sharing their data with EFSA;
- 15% said they share data with other organizations
- 25% of the audience said they only share data internally;
- Sharing via scientific publications appears to be the most common, with 45% of WMF participants indicating they would share data in this way.
Maintain high data quality
In his presentation Chiara Dall’Asta from the University of Parma, Italy, not only addressed the need for data sharing, but also highlighted the importance of data quality. “Scientists are often unaware of the need to properly collect, preserve and share data. » In this context, Dall’Asta emphasized that analysts must be aware of the impact that their data will have on risk assessment. As overestimating public health risks can result in poor communication with consumers, which could lead to a lack of trust in the food system. Proper training for the next generation of analysts and risk assessors is key, according to Dall’Asta.
Emerging technologies
Another key part of data analytics in the future will be the role of rapidly emerging technologies like AI and machine learning. Both have the potential to predict mycotoxins in food and feed and will facilitate more data-driven mycotoxin management. During the three-day event, a number of presentations addressed this topic, but it is likely that these developments will receive increasing attention in the near future.
It is clear that the current global situation, linked to climate change and geopolitical situations, has a significant impact on our food system. Furthermore, it is of utmost importance to ensure food safety. Mycotoxins still pose a threat to human and animal health and good quality, open access data management shows promise in identifying and reducing this risk.
