The growing interest in health risks associated with toxigenic fungi and related mycotoxins has led to the development of a number of research projects during the past decade in several European countries and a great deal of information has been produced on the natural occurrence of mycotoxins in plants, foods and feeds. The differences in environmental conditions (temperature, light, rainfall etc. ) and in exposed cultivated plants (type of cereals, cultivars etc. ) in the distinct European countries have significantly influenced the distribution of specific toxigenic fungi and related mycotoxicological problems. In addition, biogeographically structured lineages within some important toxigenic fungi have been recently discovered, of reproductive isolation. Transglobal showing a long evolutionary history transposition of plant products seems to have significantly contributed to the spreading of toxigenic species and lineages worldwide. Therefore, the migration of agriculturally important toxigenic fungi generated by trade exchanges may represent a major source of inoculum for new plant diseases in Europe and for a wider genetic diversity of local populations. It was our goal to provide the reader with an update of researches and surveys on the natural occurrence of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins performed at a European level during the last 5-10 years. The editors are extremely grateful to the EU-COST-835 "Agriculturally important toxigenic fungi" for the financial support that allowed a number of European scientists to meet several times over the past five years to collaborate and exchange information about research advances on toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins.

Climate Change and Mycotoxins highlights the importance of the continuous study of climate change impacts on mycotoxigenic fungi and their toxins in food and feed crops. Changing climate conditions across every geographical zone greatly affect rainfall, temperature and concentration of greenhouse gases leading to loss in yield and quality of food crops. In outstanding contributions, the authors compile current evidence on the influence of climate change on mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins in food crops pre- and postharvest and during storage of food and animal feed. The chemistry and biology of toxin production is revised and an outlook on control and prevention of the toxin's impact on food and animal feed is given. The editors recommend this book to mycologists, mycotoxicologists, pathologists, epidemiologists, toxicologists, physicians, veterinarians, nutritionists, the food and feed industries, legislators, analytical chemists, microbiologists, or students of these fields. * Unique compilation on the impact of climate change on mycotoxins based on observed trends over the last 10 years. * Special focus on the implications for food and feed safety. * Latest advances on prediction and prevention of mycotoxin threats to human and animal health. About the Editors Luis M. Botana Is a full Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Santiago, from 2004-2012 director of the Department of Pharmacology and former Fogarty Fellow at the School of Medicine of the Johns Hopkins University. He has been director of the European Reference Laboratory for Marine Toxins from 2004 to 2009. He is author of 25 international patents, over 300 scientific papers and editor of 10 international books. Maria J. Sainz Is an associate Professor of Agriculture and Forage Production and Conservation at the University of Santiago de Compostela. She has been a visiting scientist at the Rothamsted Experimental Station and for ten years head of the department of Plant Production. Her research interests focus on fungal pathogen detection and diagnostics, mycorrhizal fungi in crop protection and production, and mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins on forage crops and animal feed.

The growing interest in health risks associated with toxigenic fungi and related mycotoxins has led to the development of a number of research projects during the past decade in several European countries and a great deal of information has been produced on the natural occurrence of mycotoxins in plants, foods and feeds. The differences in environmental conditions (temperature, light, rainfall etc. ) and in exposed cultivated plants (type of cereals, cultivars etc. ) in the distinct European countries have significantly influenced the distribution of specific toxigenic fungi and related mycotoxicological problems. In addition, biogeographically structured lineages within some important toxigenic fungi have been recently discovered, of reproductive isolation. Transglobal showing a long evolutionary history transposition of plant products seems to have significantly contributed to the spreading of toxigenic species and lineages worldwide. Therefore, the migration of agriculturally important toxigenic fungi generated by trade exchanges may represent a major source of inoculum for new plant diseases in Europe and for a wider genetic diversity of local populations. It was our goal to provide the reader with an update of researches and surveys on the natural occurrence of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins performed at a European level during the last 5-10 years. The editors are extremely grateful to the EU-COST-835 "Agriculturally important toxigenic fungi" for the financial support that allowed a number of European scientists to meet several times over the past five years to collaborate and exchange information about research advances on toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins.