ABSTRACT: 

Mycotoxin contamination of foodstuffs is a cause of a range of diseases, especially in the developing world. The major classes of mycotoxins that are of the greatest agroeconomic importance are aflatoxins (AF), ochratoxins (OTs), fumonisins (FBs), zearalenone (ZEA), deoxynivalenol (DON) and patulin (PAT). This study outlines the occurrence of mycotoxins in agricultural commodities from Asian countries and analyzes the trends and impact on food safety, human health, economic losses, and international trade. Data on mycotoxin incidents in Asia were obtained from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) portal from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2019. Also, data from the BIOMIN Mycotoxin Survey on agricultural commodities (2017 to 2019) that are primary components for feed were compiled in this study. The findings revealed that AFs (n = 1711) was the major mycotoxin identified in exported products, and seeds, nuts and nut products imported from China (n = 650), Iran (n = 441) were more often susceptible to contamination by AFs and hence, subjected to frequent border rejections. Also, from the BIOMIN data, serious contamination was found in feed materials from China and Taiwan where DON was present in 90% and 92%, respectively, of all the samples tested. Assessing the impact of climate on the occurrence of mycotoxins is important in enabling effective combined mitigation strategies for improved health, income, and livelihoods in Asia and globally.