**6.9 Prevention of mycotoxins**

According to numerous reports about high occurrence of mycotoxins in foods/ feeds they are a constant concern worldwide. Although the mycotoxin producer molds spores are present all over the environment and related toxins can be formed on crops during harvest stages, Storage, processing. Also the mold spores are present in soil and plant debris able to infect growing agriculture products simply and fast at any point of handling. However, mycotoxin contaminations cover most of economic costs including the practices of prevention and mitigation, the reduced volume of contaminated foods, animal feed contamination and reduction in animal performance or health effects. Nowadays management of mycotoxins involves all actions of prevention, regulation, control, monitoring, tracing, avoidance, decontamination, detoxification and animal treatments. Even at such total management there may be levels of mycotoxin in food products unavoidably as a continual concern [23].

The most efficient tool for mycotoxin problems is the prevention of mold growth in fields especially during postharvest practices. Additionally, environmental factors can immensely affect the production of mycotoxin by fungal species. In terms of predictive proceeding the predictive models have been developed as decision supporting systems to plan proper crop protection strategies in fields [25]. Innovative detection and diagnostic tools are also available to monitor the occurrence of mycotoxigenic fungi in fields and after harvest. When contamination is not prevented, several approaches can be employed to help remove mycotoxins from the contaminated commodities, including physical, chemical, and biological techniques. Detoxification processes should destroy or inactivate mycotoxins, by guaranteeing the nutritional value of food. Research is needed to study the fate of mycotoxins during decontamination, detoxification, and food processing. A holistic approach should be adopted to monitor, prevent, and control mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins in food products.
