Which plant-based foods had mycotoxins?

Study found mycotoxins in every tested plant-based item

A new research effort tested 212 plant-based foods and reported that mycotoxins were present in every single one.

The findings highlighted that the samples contained 19 different fungal compounds, spanning products commonly marketed as meat alternatives—such as veggie burgers and sausages, vegan chicken alternatives, and even plant-based beverages.

Why this matters: Plant-based products have grown rapidly in popularity, and this study adds a nuance to the conversation about safety and quality. Mycotoxins are toxins produced by fungi, and their presence across a wide variety of plant-based categories suggests that exposure can occur during farming, processing, or storage—places where fungal growth can happen under certain conditions.

For consumers and food-industry teams, the headline isn’t just that mycotoxins exist, but that they appear uniformly across the broader plant-based shelf spectrum the study examined. That can shape how companies think about sourcing, testing, and handling raw materials to reduce fungal contamination.

What’s not specified in the provided summary: the study’s geographic scope, the concentration levels of the specific mycotoxins, whether any regulatory thresholds were exceeded, and which specific products had the highest amounts. No guidance is given on how to mitigate risk at home beyond general food safety practices.

Bottom line

Even as the market expands, researchers are documenting that plant-based foods can carry fungal byproducts. The most immediate takeaway is that mycotoxins were detected in all items tested, spanning both foods and beverages advertised as plant-based.