Risks of Patulin and its Removal Procedures: A Review

Abstract

Patulin is the secondary metabolite of some spoilage fungi. Despite efforts to prevent and reduce the mycotoxin, it is considered as a major problem in human health, especially in developing countries. Using different methods before and after processing of food can affect the level of patulin in the final product. The results showed that the different stages of production such as filtration, heating process, clarification or additional steps such as using radiation and absorbent materials can reduce patulin to some extent. The reduction of patulin in various processes depends on the composition of foods. In some studies, the amount of patulin after processing did not decrease sufficiently. Data showed that the use of various physical, chemical, and biological methods can reduce the patulin. However, because of patulin’s thermal resistance and combination effect of food ingredients, the most effective ways to reduce patulin are using good agricultural practices (GAP) and good manufacture production (GMP) duringfood production.

Keywords

• mycotoxins
• food processing
• patulin