Influence of oven and microwave cooking with the addition of herbs on the exposure to multi-mycotoxins from chicken breast muscle.

Mycotoxins can contaminate poultry production via fungal infection of feeds. The impact of different cooking methods on mycotoxins stability and bioaccessibility is scarcely studied. Recent cooking practices such as the use of roasting bags along with some seasonings to cook chicken have become a trend to maintain the tenderness of the meat. This study evaluated the impact of oven roasting and microwaving of chicken breast muscles, with/without roasting bags and/or herbs addition on the stability and bioaccessibility of the 10 prevalent mycotoxins. Cooking itself reduced mycotoxins content, while using bags did not confer any advantage; adding herbs reduced mycotoxins content by up to 60%, but also appeared to increase their bioaccessibility. Thus, strategies to reduce their increased bioaccessibility should be the subject of future research. Notwithstanding, adding herbs prior to cooking could be used as a mitigation strategy to reduce mycotoxins in meat.