Knowledge base

Seven articles on mycotoxin fundamentals, standards, sampling errors, and the choice between screening and confirmation. Written by MCS Diagnostics for those who need to make a decision on a consignment, not for those looking for a brochure.

Knowledge base

• What a mycotoxin is — and why grain remains the primary source — Six toxins, two moments and one conclusion: you cannot tell by looking at the grain. 6 min · Updated November 2026
• Two rulebooks for the same lot — Food and animal feed have their own limits, their own categories and, from 2027, a new feed standard. Here is how to read them side by side. 8 min · Updated November 2026
• The sample is not the lot — The largest error in mycotoxin analysis occurs before the laboratory begins. 7 min · Updated November 2026
• Screening or confirmation: which method when? — A strip provides a figure in minutes. Conclusive evidence requires criteria, controls and sometimes a secondary technique. 7 min · Updated November 2026
• DON in wheat: from flowering to receiving pit — Since 2024, the maximum level for food has become stricter, and from 2027 the feed guidance value will be halved. For wheat, DON has therefore become the decisive parameter. 6 min · Updated November 2026
• T-2/HT-2 in oats: the standard nobody had — Until 2024, T-2 and HT-2 were only subject to a recommendation. Since 1 July 2024, they have been maximum levels, and oats is the most severely affected crop. 6 min · Updated November 2026
• Aflatoxin B1: the only binding feed standard — For aflatoxin, there is no guidance value but a statutory maximum level. And the risk is shifting northwards. 6 min · Updated November 2026