H2020 MycoKey Project: Integrated and innovative key actions for mycotoxin management in the food and animal chain
- Type Project
- Status Filled
- Execution 2016 -2020
- Assigned Budget 4.953.160,00 €
- Scope Europeo
- Main source of financing H2020
- Project website Proyecto MycoKey
MycoKey develops new approaches to mycotoxin management by integrating results derived from the harmonization of global knowledge on key topics and the development of research data. This integration feeds into a new, smart, and user-friendly MycoKey app, a system that represents a step forward in providing scientific and practical advice to producers, stakeholders, and researchers. The project contributes to strengthening the skills of young researchers and raising awareness of the risks posed by mycotoxins on human and animal health. Furthermore, MycoKey is enhancing dialogue between the EU and China through the participation of the Chinese Consortium in related research activities. Scientific partnerships/agreements with other EU-funded projects are enhancing international cooperation, specifically with the H2020 MyToolBox project. New integrated solutions applicable in situ and ICT were developed in the field of monitoring toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins along the chain. Integrated prediction models were developed for efficient crop management and stakeholder use.
The approach is based on:
- Combination of risk models and on-site control systems.
- Development of new in situ (multi)mycotoxin screening methods for in situ and on-line analysis of multiple mycotoxins.
- Detection technologies for custom use in an open source environment.
New validated detection methodologies and advances in knowledge about modified forms of mycotoxins will be available for future legislation. The project has increased the potential for biological control against aflatoxin contamination in corn and peanuts, applying it to emerging high-risk areas in Europe (Italy, Serbia, and Romania) and China. Sustainable control strategies based on natural compounds and biological control agents have been studied for commercial application.
Wheat and corn genetic material less susceptible to Fusarium has been selected. New, less toxic and more effective fungicides have been tested. New green post-harvest solutions, sanitation techniques, and cleaning equipment to reduce mycotoxins in food products are ready for industries. We have new feed additives based on multi-mycotoxin detoxifying agents, and validated and standardized criteria and protocols, in accordance with EU regulations and EFSA guidelines.
Safe use option solutions will lead to effective biological methods for mycotoxin detoxification and the cost-effective production of biofuel from mycotoxin-contaminated biomass. Ultimately, 75 manuscripts were published in peer-reviewed journals. Finally, 75 publications stemming from the MycoKey research have been published in peer-reviewed journals.
The work carried out over the 4 years addressed the following areas (results):
- GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE ON MYCOTOXINS: review of scientific updates, knowledge for stakeholders, short messages for farmers to include in the application, good practice guides, and smart messages for end-users (16 lay summaries). The Mycotox Charter website is available. Predictive models serve as a useful tool to predict the level of mycotoxin contamination risk, supporting stakeholders and policymakers. Four Roundtables and four Working Groups strengthened the strong global multidisciplinary scientific network.
- MONITORING OF TOXIGENIC FUNGI: A predictive model for AFLA and FUM in corn for farmers. A model for predicting DON and ZEA in corn; sequence data for online public databases for fungal species identification. In situ LAMP assay evaluated during MycoKey workshops. Whole genome sequencing, insights into new genotypes and distribution of mycotoxin gene clusters. Use of in situ environmental sensors.
- MYCOTOXIN MONITORING: Alternative method and device for grain dust sampling in maize, SOP (guidance note) for industry on dust analysis and on-site testing; data submitted to DG SANTE to support EU policy on sampling. New tests: UNISENSOR "3 Myco" DON/ZEA/FUM multiplex dipstick test; aptamer-based rapid multiple mycotoxin screening tests; fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA)-based rapid detection tests; real-time electrochemical profiling (REP) system for rapid mycotoxin screening. The tests were used in industrial, on-site, and training settings. New toxicokinetic data on modified forms of DON, ZEA, and AFB1 were discussed with EFSA as a contribution to regulation.
- FIELD PREVENTION: New marketable biopesticides: AflaSafe II registered in Ghana (98% reduction in AFLA); a new fungicide in the process of registration in China. Experiments with intercrops and cover crops reduced contamination in wheat (DON and ZEA by up to 75%); highly tolerant varieties reduce the risk of DON and ZEA in wheat.
- Intervention strategies to mitigate fungal infection of crops in the field, during storage, or processing: C. rosea strains reduced disease severity and DON content by up to 100%; new fungicidal compounds developed against FHB; EOW treatment in grape field trials against A. carbonarius; non-thermal plasma system and UV-C treatment against fungal growth in green coffee, walnut, corn, and peanut.
- REMEDIATION: Combined cleanup technologies for industrial-scale mycotoxin reduction in corn (AFLA: 60-90%, FUM: 22-65%*, DON: 36-55%*, ZEA: 75-100%); Development of new feed additives (between 60 and 100%). New enzymes/microorganisms and Pleurotus laccase enzymes have proven effective for different mycotoxins up to 93%. ICT SOLUTIONS: The MycoKey app is linked to a georeferenced information platform to support precision agriculture and data-driven mycotoxin management, enabling comprehensive monitoring of DON in wheat and AFB1 and FUM in corn.
- COMMUNICATION, DISSEMINATION, EXPLOITATION: 75 open access articles. Short-term assignments for international doctoral students and young researchers. 3 successful MycoKey International Conferences (Belgium, China, online). Technology workshops in Finland, Romania, and Switzerland, and training courses in Italy and China transferred MycoKey solutions to potential users, industries, and producers.
A growing problem for food safety in Europe and around the world is the spread of mycotoxins in crops, mainly related to climate change, with potentially serious implications for human and animal health, food safety, and international trade.
The MycoKey project contributed to mitigating mycotoxin contamination in food and feed chains by developing effective solutions to improve their competitiveness and sustainability. It investigated maize, wheat, and barley crops, their associated toxigenic fungi, and related mycotoxins (aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, ochratoxin A, fumonisins, T-2 toxins, and HT-2 toxins) in Europe and China. The overall objective was to integrate key information and practical solutions into a smart ICT tool (MycoKey App) and provide stakeholders with answers. The project innovated in mycotoxin management through:
- The development of ICT-based solutions, the provision of information to legislation, and the improvement of knowledge and networks.
- Select and improve a series of tools for monitoring toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins.
- To assess the use of reliable and cost-effective technical and management solutions, sustainable composites, and green technologies for prevention, intervention, and remediation in the field, during storage, processing, and transport within major food and feed chains.
- Alternative and safe ways to use contaminated batches.
The multidisciplinary consortium was composed of scientific, industrial and association partners (31), including 11 Chinese institutions.
MycoKey aims to generate innovative and integrated solutions that support stakeholders in the effective and sustainable management of mycotoxins along food and feed chains. The project will contribute to reducing mycotoxin contamination primarily in Europe and China, where frequent and severe mycotoxin contamination in crops occurs and where international trade in contaminated commodities and batches is increasing. MycoKey will address the main affected crops: maize, wheat, and barley, their associated toxigenic fungi, and related mycotoxins (aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, ochratoxin A, and fumonisins).
The project will integrate key information and practical solutions for mycotoxin management into a smart ICT tool (the MycoKey app), providing stakeholders with answers requiring rapid and customized forecasts, descriptive information on contamination risks/levels, decision support, and practical and economically sound suggestions for intervention. The tools and methodologies will be strategically targeted for cost-effective application in the field and during storage, processing, and transportation. Alternative and safe ways to use contaminated batches will also be provided.
Mycokey's goal will be:
- Innovate communications on mycotoxin management through the application of ICT, providing information for legislation, and improving knowledge and networks.
- Select and improve a variety of tools for mycotoxin monitoring.
- Evaluate the use of reliable solutions, sustainable compounds/green technologies in prevention, intervention, and remediation.
The multidisciplinary consortium, composed of scientific, industrial and association partners (32), includes 11 Chinese institutions and will carry out the 4-year programme within a framework of international networks.
Mycotoxins, compounds produced by microscopic fungi, are harmful to humans and animals, causing diseases ranging from acute poisoning to immunodeficiency and some types of cancer. They can infect plants throughout their growth cycle and contaminate crops during storage. Through infected food, mycotoxins can also contaminate animal products such as milk, eggs, and meat.
A recent study confirmed the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimate from 1985 that mycotoxin contamination was present in 25% of food crops globally. Improved analytical methods suggest that the occurrence has likely been underestimated below detectable levels. The EU-funded MycoKey project built on the earlier MYCORED project and developed new procedures and tools to reduce mycotoxin contamination in fields, feed, and post-harvest supply chains. “Since introducing safer crops earlier in the food chain reduces health risks, we prioritized more environmentally friendly prevention and faster detection of mycotoxin contamination in the field,” explains Antonio F. Logrieco, MycoKey project coordinator and director of the Institute of Food Production Sciences at the Italian National Research Council. “We also developed solutions to move food and feed further downstream.” New solutions for the supply chain MycoKey selected primarily cereals for study, including barley, maize, and wheat, along with some dried fruits and grapes. The project focused on mycotoxins of particular interest to regulatory authorities: aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, zearalenone, and ochratoxin A. The team successfully tested biological control strategies using non-toxigenic microorganisms introduced into wheat and maize chains in the EU and China. These biological control agents successfully reduced deoxynivalenol accumulation in wheat by 69% to 85%, and in maize, they reduced aflatoxin by 98% to 100%.
The team also created a prototype decision-support system, available through an open-source app, to predict the occurrence of mycotoxins in some crops. This was supported by monitoring tools, including rapid detection of multiple mycotoxins in grain dust. Samples from this device can be analyzed on-site using strip testing or sent to a laboratory for evaluation by mass spectrometry. For contaminated crops, improved cleaning technologies were developed for use in grading machinery. The industrial-scale cleaning used in the Grain Plus mechanical separator reduced aflatoxin in corn by up to 100%. In addition, the team developed a yeast-based fermentation process to produce biogas and bioethanol from contaminated batches.
In the case of contaminated feed, bentonites were tested as detoxifying agents with industry partners Laviosa and Lesaffre. Bentonites mixed with feed absorb mycotoxins, reducing their bioavailability. “With the use of these biocontrol agents, treatments, and tools, farmers have sustainable solutions in line with the Farm to Fork strategy,” says Logrieco. Food safety regulation While good agronomic practices, such as tillage, resistant plant varieties, and fungicides, can mitigate mycotoxin contamination, climate change has given rise to more toxigenic fungi that can overcome plant and fungicide resistance. MycoKey supports the European Green Deal by adapting agronomic practices to reduce the use of agricultural chemicals.
The project has also established links with scientific groups working on mycotoxins in China, which have been a source of growing concern for European authorities given the import of Chinese crops. “MycoKey has provided new information, for example, on toxicokinetics and modified forms of deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, and aflatoxin, which can assist EU food safety regulators and support industry in adapting their food processes,” Logrieco adds. MycoKey results will now also be used in other food safety projects, for example, as input for mapping exercises in the EU-funded FoodSafety4EU project and as input for MycoTWIN training.
- CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE (CNR)
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