Cambio climático y nuevos hábitos alimentarios: nuevos escenarios con impacto potencial sobre el riesgo de micotoxinas en España

El proyecto estudia las micotoxinas reguladas legalmente y sus hongos productores en cereales y uvas de vino con el objeto de prevenir y reducir su riesgo en alimentos de consumo humano y detectar riesgos emergentes en relación con el cambio climático y los nuevos hábitos alimentarios. Se desarrollan las metodologías más avanzadas y precisas para la detección, identificación y cuantificación de los hongos productores y de las diversas micotoxinas producidas, teniendo en cuenta su aplicabilidad en la industria agroalimentaria. También se estudia el impacto de las condiciones ambientales sobre la eficacia de agentes antifúngicos utilizados en precosecha y en la industria alimentaria para reducir la contaminación fúngica y las micotoxinas. La información obtenida servirá también para elaborar modelos predictivos orientados a mejorar las estrategias de control. El proyecto es multidisciplinar y en él participan cuatro universidades: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universidad de Valencia, Universidad de Lleida y Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, con financiación del Plan Nacional I+D+i del Ministerio de Economia y Competividad.

ABSTRACT

Mycotoxins are a diverse group of highly toxic secondary metabolites that are produced by moulds, from the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium, that commonly colonize a number of crops and foods. These toxins can be produced at any stage of the food chain and they are responsible for acute and chronic diseases in human and livestock. According to their importance, national and international authorities establish regulations for combination of mycotoxins and commodities, and are also involved in improving food safety management strategies and anticipating emerging situations that adversely might affect Public Health. In this project we will study two emerging issues affecting mycotoxin risk, new food habits (related with the increasing consumption of functional foods) and climate change, according to the scenarios predicted for Spain (mainly high temperatures and drought). Climate change is considered a threat that will unequivocally affect many sectors, particularly agriculture and food safety, including mycotoxins, in a highly regionalized way. The distribution and prevalence of the different toxigenic moulds and their toxins are determined by host, complex interactions within the biotic community, location and environmental factors. The goal of the first objective is to obtain representative and integrated data of the biodiversity and evolution of the toxigenic mycobiota during wheat and grape colonization in field and final mycotoxin content (trichothecenes B, ochratoxin A, aflatoxins and zearalenone) in relation with weather variables in different Spanish agroclimatic regions. Additionally individual in vitro analyses will determine the effect of temperatures, water stress and UV radiation on growth and mycotoxin biosynthesis of a representative sample of strains from the main mycotoxigenic species, to foreseen the potential adaptation and distribution trends in the new scenarios. Similarly, the effect of these conditions on the efficiency of diverse fungicides to reduce mycotoxigenic growth and toxins will be tested. In the project’s third objective, all the information from in field and in vitro studies will be used to develop predictive models for combinations mycotoxin-wheat/grapes using the Food Safety Objectives (FSO) concept, key of Food Safety management strategies, and which is still not fully explored for mycotoxins. The new additives (fiber and natural antioxidants) for certain functional foods (bread and derivatives) might modify the characteristics of the basic substrates resulting in conditions favourable for moulds and mycotoxins. The fourth objetive will study their effect on fungal growth and mycotoxin synthesis to identify the mycotoxigenic species and ingredients potentially hazardous and the concentrations and conditions more suitable for conservation of these foods. Finally, a web page will be developed to provide a rapid access to the information generated during the project to scientists, stakeholders and professionals and it will also facilitate coordination within the project. This project will contribute with relevant scientific knowledge and more realistic prediction models to assist in strategies aimed to reduce mycotoxin risk. This will also improve efficiency of agro-food industry. The multidisciplinary nature of participating groups, the advanced methodology, the previous knowledge in the subject and their experience in the field are a good guarantee for the objectives to be achieved.