Mycotoxins are toxic and/or carcinogenic metabolites produced by several fungi such as Fusarium and Aspergillus spp. Under certain environmental conditions, moulds that produce mycotoxins can grow on grains, nuts, and many other agricultural crops. The subsequent impacts of mycotoxin contamination of agricultural commodities on human and animal health as well as on national and international trade are increasingly concerning both developing and developed countries.

Designing effective sampling plans for mycotoxin detection in food commodities is a complex task. This Mycotoxin Sampling Tool provides support in analyzing performance of sampling plans, and determining the most appropriate mycotoxin sampling plan to minimize risk of misclassifying lots. The Mycotoxin Sampling Tool is based on a model developed by Dr. Thomas Whitaker and Mr. Andrew Slate during 46 years of mycotoxin sampling research with USDA-ARS and North Carolina State University.