Every One of 212 Plant-Based Meat Products Tested Had Fungal Toxins, UK Study Finds

A survey of plant-based foods sold in the UK has found that mycotoxins — toxic compounds naturally produced by fungi — are present across vegetarian and vegan products. Researchers from the University of Parma in Italy and Cranfield University in the UK tested 212 plant-based meat alternatives and plant-based beverages bought from UK stores, including burgers, vegetarian chicken pieces, vegan sausages, and oat, almond and soy milks. Every single product contained at least one of 19 mycotoxins the researchers screened for, and some contained several.

Mycotoxins can be common in plant-based products because ingredients such as grains, legumes and seeds can be exposed to mould while growing or in storage. Despite the widespread detection, the levels measured in the tested products stayed below the European Union's recommended guideline limits, which the researchers said reflects UK food industry quality standards.

The concern raised by the study is less about any single product than about repeated, cumulative exposure. Previous research has indicated that small amounts of mycotoxins consumed regularly can add up over time and, in severe cases, has been associated with liver and kidney damage, immune suppression and cancer. The researchers said a diet based entirely on plant foods could raise a person's cumulative mycotoxin exposure if that exposure is not managed.

Andrea Patriarca, a senior lecturer in mycology at Cranfield University, said mycotoxins occur naturally in food and cannot be completely avoided, and that consumers should not be frightened away from plant-based products. He noted that newly launched foods currently lack established regulations for mycotoxin monitoring, and that his team is working with the food industry to build mycotoxin management into food safety standards. The findings were published in the journal Food Control.