Common methods to detect mycotoxins: a review with particular emphasis on electrochemical detection

Abstract

Mycotoxins are metabolites produced naturally, due to their presence in foodstuffs and their potential risk for human health, the food industries require analytical methods to secure the quality and stability of raw materials, processes and products. These methods must offer real time data that allow to control and to monitor each process to safeguard the innocuity of the nutritional products. The traditional analytical methods have to deal determinations with limited sensitivity levels and little specificity, they are expensive. Although the chromatographic methods show highly reproducible results and good limits of detection. Other alternative is the use of biosensors. In this review, some electrochemical methods about the detection of mycotoxins are presented with the objective to review and updated information of the methods employed to detect mycotoxins besides to know the regulation of the limits of mycotoxins in food.