A critical review of biological methods for the detection of fungal toxins in foods and foodstuffs

Many biological assays (bioassays) have been developed to detect fungal toxins (mycotoxins). Few of these assays are as sensitive to mycotoxins as chemical assays or have been shown to be able to detect a wide range of different mycotoxins. Bioassays also suffer from a number of other problems including interference by nonfungal agents and from often being slow and less reproducible than chemical assays for mycotoxins. Bioassays have given little valuable information in their use in the surveillance of food and foodstuffs. Their major value has been in the initial identification and isolation of mycotoxins.