*4.4. Monascus* sp.

*Monascus* sp. are fungi placed under order Eurotiales, family Monascaceae. There are many species in this genus, among which *M. purpureus* (monascorubramine and rubropunctamine) [45], *M. anka* (ankaflavin and monascin) [46] and *M. ruber* (monascorubrinandrubropunctatin) [47] are of greatest significance to the food industry. Traditionally, Monascus pigments were produced on rice using solid-state microbial fermentation. Synonyms for this food product include, Hon-Chi, Hong Qu, Dan Qu, Anka, Ankak rice, Beni-Koji, red koji, red Chinese rice, red yeast rice and red mold rice (RMR). RMR was utilized as a food colorant in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 1000 years [71].

Chinese, as well as other East Asian people, have confirmed the safety of red yeast rice. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the United States excluded red yeast rice on the list of permissible food additives, due to complex secondary metabolites [72,73]. The toxigenic strain of *Monascus purpureus* is capable of producing nephrotoxic and hepatotoxic mycotoxin citrinin, which limits the wide application of the pigment [74].

For more than a thousand years, pigments produced by *Monascus* sp. were legally used as food colorants in South East Asia, even though they were demonstrated to have physiological effects. There are numerous toxicological data available on this Monascus red pigment.

A genetically modified industrial strain, *M. purpureus* SM001 isolated in China, is capable of producing pigment without citrinin, which is the best *Monascus* pigment producer.This results in the prolonged safety of *Monascus*-related products and their application [75].
