02332naa a2200253 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000220006024500620008226000090014452015450015365000150169865000200171365000100173365000190174365300170176265300280177965300180180770000240182570000200184970000290186970000230189877301570192121404712022-10-10       2021    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d1 aFREITAS-SILVA, O.  aChemical Degradation of Afatoxins.h[electronic resource]  c2021  aThe removal of toxigenic fungi species from the genus Aspergillus and their highly toxic aflatoxins from contaminated foodstuffs is a difficult task, in view of their high resistance to heat treatments and solubility only in intermediate polar solvents. In this regard, chemical methods have been proposed for decontamination of aflatoxins (AFs) in foodstuffs, including ozonation, application of organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, and plant extracts, among other compounds. However, the production and use of chemical compounds are subjected to strong legislative pressure. This chapter presents the state of the art on the control of mycotoxins regarding the application of chemicals for the reduction of fungi and degradation of AFs, as well as corresponding regulatory and food safety issues. One of the most relevant chemical methods is the ozonated water which, in addition to being effective in AF detoxification, also eliminates pathogenic agents and microorganisms, contributing to food safety. However, the choice of the chemical product, concentration, time, and way of application generally has a large impact on the sensory attributes and nutritional values of the treated foods. In addition, residues from chemical used for aflatoxin decontamination can cause direct damage to human and animal health or induce negative effects through interaction with other nutrients. Further studies are necessary to better understand the mechanisms of detoxification by chemical compounds aiming at their application on an industrial scale,  aAflatoxins  aFood technology  aOzone  aPlant extracts  aAmmonization  aChemical detoxification  aOrganic acids1 aCOELHO, C. C. DE S.1 aTROMBETE, F. M.1 aCONCEIÇÃO, R. R. P. DA1 aRIBEIRO-SANTOS, R.  tIn: Khalid Rehman HAKEEM, K. R.; OLIVEIRA, C. A. F. DE; ISMAIL, A. (ed.). Aflatoxins in Food: A Recent Perspective. Springer, cap. 11, p. 233-258, 2021.