Viriditoxin

A mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium species — a yellow pigment with demonstrated toxicity in experimental animals. Viriditoxin contaminates stored cereals, oilseeds, and nuts when Aspergillus viridinutans and related moulds grow under warm, humid conditions. Though overshadowed by aflatoxin and ochratoxin in regulatory attention, it contributes to the aggregate mycotoxin load of mouldy commodities. Prevention centres on drying to safe moisture, cool dry storage, and quality segregation — the universal defences against storage moulds. Viriditoxin‘s relative obscurity highlights a food-safety reality: many fungal metabolites in grain remain unregulated despite genuine toxic potential.