Patulin in food

•Patulin in apple-based products kept below limits in the EU. Levels in other foods?•Apple cores inhabited by patulin-producing fungi—implications for processing.•Update on reaction chemistry and cellular targets for patulin toxicity.•Environmental cues for patulin production revisited in light of genomes sequenced.•Biodegradation and detoxification of patulin by a growing number of microorganisms.