2021-05-10

By Carl Grimes/Healthy Habitats

Mycotoxins, according to any textbook or research reference, are defined as a Secondary Metabolite.

Metabolites are what a living organism produces when “digesting” its food. The nutrients are used and everything else is left behind as waste. Mold must be alive, growing, and “digesting” to produce mycotoxins. This means that dead or dormant mold cannot produce mycotoxins. Neither can the spores produce mycotoxins. Spores are the reproductive “seeds” made by the active growth to reproduce. Spores are neither alive nor dead, but under the right conditions can germinate, sprout, grow, and reproduce by making new spores. Only actively growing mold can produce mycotoxins.

Because mycotoxins are a Secondary metabolite, something else has to be happening that will sometimes trigger the production of mycotoxins. The purpose of mycotoxins is to protect the colony of growing mold from certain competing bacteria or mold growth in the vicinity. When these are detected a tiny amount of liquid is oozed out onto the surface toward the invaders. This prevents them from growing closer.

While all molds are capable of producing mycotoxins, none of them always do so. They need to be actively “feeding” AND close to certain other actively growing bacteria or mold.  

This means that we cannot know if mycotoxins are present just by the type of mold. Neither can the type of mold be determined by which mycotoxins are present. The only way to know if mycotoxins are present is by a laboratory mycotoxin analysis.

Now you know.