(Re)interpreting mycotoxin exposure and toxicity in ingredient-centred food systems

The rapid growth of plant-based foods is changing how consumers are exposed to naturally occurring contaminants. While the regulatory frameworks remain scientifically robust, they are still largely based on commodity-focused exposure assumptions that reflect historical consumption patterns and stable food matrices. In ingredient-based food systems, this no longer holds. Grains and pulses are processed into functional components that are used across many products. As a result, exposure shifts from the whole food to the ingredient. Using mycotoxins as a case study, this work shows how this transition affects exposure assessment, toxicological interpretation and regulatory application. Ingredient use, repeated across products and supply chains, weakens the link between where contaminants are measured and how exposure actually occurs. This makes it more difficult to interpret occurrence data and to assess risk using current approaches, which are largely based on whole foods and stable consumption patterns. This change also affects co-exposure. Foods may contain multiple contaminants, including both regulated and emerging compounds, which can act together and influence biological responses. To address these challenges, we introduce the concept of regulatory preparedness. This approach focuses on linking occurrence data with how exposure is generated through ingredient use, food formulation and consumption patterns. This commentary highlights the need to rethink exposure assessment in ingredient-based systems, with implications that extend beyond mycotoxins to other contaminants in modern food supply chains.