Alternaria in food products

Abstract

Alternaria is a fungal genus ubiquitous in the environment; many species are saprotrophs or plant pathogens, which can accumulate toxic metabolites in the edible parts of plants. Its species, as well as its mycotoxins have been isolated from a wide range of foods, such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, and their derived products. The aim of this work is to review its current taxonomy status, incidence of Alternaria species and mycotoxins in foods, control strategies and analytical methods, and to highlight the future needs for research in this field.