Effective novel and conventional technologies for decontamination of aflatoxin B₁ in foods: a review

Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) is a carcinogenic mycotoxin produced by certain filamentous fungi that contaminate agricultural crops. Conventional decontamination methods are still widely used to ensure food safety; however, novel technologies for AFB₁ decontamination, while promising, aim to be efficient, cost-effective, and scalable. This article provides an overview of conventional and novel technologies used over the past decade to achieve AFB₁ decontamination rates of 75% or higher, as well as patents related to aflatoxin decontamination. The results highlight various methods and their effectiveness in decontaminating AFB₁ in rice, barley, maize, peanuts, millet, nuts, sorghum, wheat bran, pistachios, edible oils, dairy products, and certain culture media. Novel technologies include sorbents, cold atmospheric plasma, essential oils, phenolic compounds, and plant extracts, as well as magnetic materials and nanoparticles for AFB₁ decontamination. Limitations associated with conventional methods have driven the search for novel approaches that, while showing great potential, often lack detailed explanations of their mechanisms of action and practical demonstrations on an industrial scale. Cold atmospheric plasma combined with high voltage is believed to hold significant promise for effectively reducing AFB₁ in food while minimizing food residues. The new AFB₁ decontamination methods described in this review can serve as valuable resources for researchers and industry stakeholders; however, further studies are needed to ensure global food safety.