Aflatoxin in rice: a publication review

Abstract

Contamination of food products by various types of fungi can pose a severe health threat to humans and livestock. Aflatoxin (AFS) is a toxic and carcinogenic metabolite of the Aspergillus fungus that can occur in rice. Many studies have been conducted on the content of aflatoxins in staple foods, including rice. A literature analysis was performed to get an overview of the development of aflatoxin publication in rice using the Scopus database (Elsevier) between 2010 – 2021. In this article, we describe the focus of trends and characteristics of publications and visualize the growing network. The analysis includes descriptive analysis, keyword network, author collaboration network, and country/regional cooperation analysis. Research on the content of aflatoxins in rice has increased sharply in the last 20 years. The cause of aflatoxins is that fungi can potentially infect food crops, posing a significant health risk to humans and livestock. Aflatoxins are also thought to inhibit growth (growth retardation), resulting in stunting or failure to thrive. The main areas of study for aflatoxins can be separated into four categories: (a) types of aflatoxins; (b) origin and development process of aflatoxins; (c) test methods; and (d) type of product.