MycoPure: Novel sample extraction process to facilitate rapid, reliable mycotoxin testing in food samples

There is an urgent industry need for new mycotoxin extraction methods to increase the effectiveness of mycotoxin testing in food manufacture & processing. Recent advances in mycotoxin testing have focused on rapid detection but front-end extraction/concentration methods have lagged behind & there is no simple, cost-effective platform for one-step extraction & purification of multiple contaminants. This interdisciplinary project will develop a novel mycotoxin extraction system with the ability to increase the efficiency of testing by up to 20%, thereby lowering associated costs, increasing test kit uptake & improving resource efficiency, enabling substantial economic benefits to the UK food industry. The project is technically & commercially innovative as it exploits a novel acoustic extraction method that offers a flexible platform, seamlessly integrating into existing diagnostic techniques for enhanced efficiency of food testing; an innovation enabled only by cross-sector collaboration towards a common goal – superior mycotoxin testing capability. The proposed work has the potential to substantially improve food safety, contributing to a safe & secure food manufacturing supply chain.