Zokolora zambiri zaulimi zimatha kutenga matenda angapo oyambitsidwa ndi fungi, mavairasi ndi tizirombo toyambitsa matenda. Matendawa amathanso kuyipitsa mbewu ndi poizoni wakupha. Fungi ndi amene amadetsa nkhawa kwambiri. Fungi ndi tizilombo tomwe timatha kukhala patokha komanso timapezeka mwachilengedwe mu nthaka, mpweya ndi madzi.

Fungi amagwira mbeu makamaka nyengo ikakhala yabwino. Tizilombo tambiri ta mtundu wa fungi timatha kukhala  ndi ndi moyo wachilengedwe popanda zokolola zathu. Ma poizoni opangidwa ndi fungi amatchedwa mycotoxins (myco = fungi; toxin = poyizoni). Pafupifupi 25% yazinthu zonse zaulimi padziko lapansi zimagwidwa ndi chukwu(aflatoxin) ndi ma mycotoxins, izi zimapangitsa kuti chakudya chokwana ma tonne 1 biliyoni chionongeke chaka chilichonse. Ngakhale pali mitundu yambiri ya poison wa fungi, ma aflatoxins kapena kuti chuku ndi odetsa nkhawa kwambiri makamaka chifukwa cha kuchuluka kwawo kwa kawopsedwe komwe kumakhudza thanzi la anthu komanso kuchepa kwachuma komwe kumachitika chifukwa cha mbewu zosavomerezeka.

Zotsatira za aflatoxins.

Zakudya zomwe zimagwida ndi chuku monga za mtundu wa chimanga (chimanga, mawere, mpunga, mapira ndi tirigu), mbeu za mafuta (mtedza, soya ndi mpendadzuwa), zonunkhira (tsabola wakuda, chikasu ndi jinga) komanso mkaka wochokera ku ng'ombe zomwe zadya zakudya zogwidwa ndi chuku. Poizoni wa chuku (aflatoxins) sangawonongeke ndi kuphika. Kuipitsidwa kwa zakudya ndi Aflatoxin kumakhala ndi zotsatirapo ziwiri zazikulu. Choyamba, kudya zakudya zoyipitsidwa kumakhala ndi zotsatira zoyipa zaumoyo ndipo chachiwiri, kuipitsidwa kwa aflatoxin kumakhudza mitengo yambeu kunsika yomwe imakhala yotsika kwambiri zomwe zimachepetsa phindu.

Zotsatira zaumoyo: Kudya zakudya zophatikizana ndi aflatoxins kumabweretsa poizoni wa aflatoxin wotchedwanso aflatooticosis. Kudya pafupipafupi zokudya zodetsedwa ndi afulatokosini mu milingo yochepa kumabweretsa kuwonongeka kwa chiwindi, kutsika kwa chitetezo cha m'thupi, kuperewera kwa zakudya m'thupi ndi kukula monyentchera kwa ana, pomwe kudya zakudya zogwidwa ndi afulatokosini  kumatha kupha.

Zowonongeka za chuma: chimanga ndi zinthu zina ndizofunikira monga gwero la ndalama zikagulitsidwa kwanuko zimatumizidwa kunja. Kuti ateteze anthu ku zovuta za mycotoxins, makamaka aflatoxin, European Commission yakhazikitsa malire oyenera a aflatoxin muzakudya zina. Mlingo wovomerezeka wa aflatoxin muzakudya za anthu ndi 4-30 ppb, kutengera dziko lomwe likukhudzidwa (FDA 2004; Henry et al. 1999). Ku United States, 20 ppb ndiye malire a aflatoxin omwe amaloledwa ku zakudya za anthu (FAO 2003). Chifukwa cha kuipitsidwa ndi aflatoxin zakudya zomwe sizingagulitsidwe zimayambitsa kuwonongeka kwa chuma. Mwachitsanzo Malawi idataya pafupifupi 42% ya mbeu ya mtenga yomwe idagulitsidwa kunja mu chaka cha 2005 (Diaz-Rios ndi Jaffe 2008).