Aflatoxins gain entry into food products when proper drying, storage, and transport conditions are not applied. They comprise of closely related compounds for example, aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2, M1, and M2. The order of toxicity among aflatoxis is B1 > G1 > B2 > G2. In developing countries, the serious illness and deaths are common due to acute aflatoxicosis and human children are more prone to their attack. Chronic aflatoxicosis affects on animal nutrition status. Aflatoxins are commonly extracted from foodstuffs by liquid–liquid extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and solid phase extraction. They are analyzed by thin layer chromatography, high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), HPLC‐mass spectrometry and UV‐Visible spectroscopy. They demonstrate high stability within food or feed stuffs and can be removed by physical, chemical, and biological means. Physical approaches use heat, sunlight, UV light, gamma rays, or adsorption phenomenon while chemical methods involve various fungicides, herbal plant extracts, oxidizing/hydrolytic/chlorinating agents, or clay. Biological approaches involve either probiotic and yeast mixtures or atoxigenic fungi. A proper detoxification procedure ensures the nutritional value of food/feed stuffs and does not generate new carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic substances. Consideration of hygienic precautions and technical assistance, implementation of regulatory initiatives, and stricter quality control measures are all important for their control. Practical applications Aflatoxins are toxic metablotics produced primarily by means of fungal species. Cereals, spices, nuts, grapes, apples, dried fruit, dried vegetables (peas, beans), oil seeds, teas, cocoa, and coffees are commonly infected aflatoxins. Their presence in an animal diet severely affects the kidneys, liver, rate of growth and reproduction, serious illness, and even death. The aflatoxin problem is more common in developing countries. The present work highlights the physical and chemical nature of aflatoxins, various types of aflatoxicosis, and the strategies used for their control; their control methods have been correlated with the environmental conditions. Attempts have also been made to discuss the techniques used for their detection, extraction, identification, analysis, and characterization.

Background: Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites that are produced in rice, corn, nuts and several other cereals. The contamination of food stuff by mycotoxins is a cause of numerous diseases throughout the world. Aflatoxins are potent mycotoxins that have chronic and acute toxicity. Objectives: To evaluate the presence of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 in branded and non-branded rice varieties available in Punjab, Pakistan. Methodology: Total 150 rice samples were collected in May 2019 from various cities (Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujar Khan, Jehlum, Kharian, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Sahiwal, Mian Channu, Khanewal, Multan, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan) of Pakistan. All the rice samples were subjected to physical testing methods, followed by extraction (using chloroform extraction method) and qualitative and quantitative detection of aflatoxin using Thin layer Chromatography (TLC) Technique and Enzyme linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: No aflatoxins was detected in branded rice varieties which were stored in good packaging. The aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was detected in 65% of poorly stored rice varieties, with maximum contamination of 8.92ppb. The lowest moisture 9.4% content was found in (branded samples) and 10.9% (non-branded samples) while highest moisture content 10.8% found in (branded samples) and 16% found in (non-branded samples). The 54 out 100 non-branded samples found to have more than 13% moisture contents which is alarming. Conclusion: With the implementation of effective strategies and special precautions during storage, harvesting, transportation, drying and harvesting, we can prevent the contamination of rice product with fungi and stop aflatoxin production which is a major threat to country economy.