Review on pre- and post-harvest management of peanuts to minimize aflatoxin contamination

Abstract

Peanut or groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is cultivated in the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. Its production reaches approximately 39.9 million metric tons per year. The major producers/exporters of peanuts are the United States, Argentina, Sudan, Senegal, and Brazil. One of the major problems in peanut production worldwide is the contamination with Aspergillus section Flavi and aflatoxins, being these mycotoxins of great concern due to their toxicological effects to human and animals. Different strategies both at pre-harvest and post-harvest stages have been applied to reduce the entry of aflatoxins to the food and feed chains. Nowadays, no single strategy is enough to solve this problem. An integrate management from the field until food or feed processing is necessary to reduce the impact of aflatoxins. This review summarizes the advance in reducing the impact of aflatoxins in different countries where peanuts are cultivated.