Mycotoxins contamination and their possible mitigation strategies in plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs): A review

The global dietary shift towards plant-based nutrition, primarily motivated by health, environmental, or ethical reasons, has led to a significant increase in the popularity of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs). These products promise a reduced environmental footprint and address animal welfare concerns while offering nutritional benefits. However, potential mycotoxin exposure through PBMAs remains under-explored. Mycotoxins can contaminate food during pre-harvest, harvest, and storage phases. Common mycotoxins include aflatoxins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes, zearalenone, and fumonisins, posing significant health risks.This review evaluates the occurrence of mycotoxins in PBMAs and their primary ingredients and discusses the analytical techniques used for detection and various detoxification methods. The EU's Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/ 915 sets maximum levels (MLs) for mycotoxins in food products, but these may not fully cover PBMAs. Wheatbased PBMAs have shown significant mycotoxin contamination, according to previous publications. With alternariol methyl ether (AME) in nearly 95% of soy-based burgers, with concentrations up to 408.8 mu g/kg, while mycotoxins like beauvericin (BEA) (99%) and enniatin B (ENNB) (94%) were also prevalent. Enniatins (ENN)s were detected in soy-based burgers at concentrations up to 632.6 mu g/kg. The prevalence of mycotoxin occurrence emphasizes the necessity of implementing a combination of mitigation strategies such as extrusion, fermentation, and high-pressure processing (HPP), to ensure PBMAs safety. Advanced analytical methodologies are crucial to minimize mycotoxin exposure. Future research should focus on expanding the mycotoxin database in PBMAs to ensure the safety of these increasingly popular products and protect consumers.