An overview of the physical, chemical and biological strategies for the removal of emerging mycotoxins: Recent advances and future perspectives

Emerging mycotoxins are defined as fungal toxins that are widely distributed and frequently detected, but have not yet been incorporated into routine monitoring, regulatory frameworks, or established maximum residue limits. The Fusarium sp., Alternaria sp., Aspergillus and Penicillium sp. are the main source for the emerging mycotoxins including beauvericin (BEA), enniatins (ENNs), moniliformin (MON), alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), tenuazonic acid (TeA), tentoxin (TEN), sterigmatocystin (STC) and citrinin (CIT). The presence of these emerging mycotoxins not only causes crop yield reduction and quality deterioration, but also exists in processed food products, posing a great safety threat to humans and animals. In recent years, research on the removal of emerging mycotoxins has received widespread attention. This review systematically summarizes the current degradation strategies for emerging mycotoxins, including physical (food processing, cold plasma, irradiation, and adsorption), chemical (oxidizing/reducing agents, plant extracts, essential oils, and phytochemicals), and biological (microbial degradation, microbial antagonism, and enzymatic degradation) approaches. Moreover, representative cases of mycotoxin degradation in various food matrices are discussed, aiming to promote the development of efficient, environmentally friendly, and practical detoxification strategies, thereby providing valuable insights for the effective control of emerging mycotoxins.