Contamination mycotoxins

Aflatoxins Contaminant (mycotoxin) Produced by Aspergillus flavus, especially grains, corn, and peanuts carcinogenic and hepatotoxic... 

Ochratoxin, citrinin Contaminant (mycotoxin) Produced by Penicillium strains nephropathy (endemic Balkan nephropathy)... 

Acidulants, sweeteners, flavors, Anitoxidants and preservatives Colors and dyes Vitamins Contaminants Mycotoxins (aflatoxins)... 

In terms of chemical food contamination, mycotoxins undoubtedly represent the most monitored group of pollutants, but many bacterial pathogens that produce diseases similarly have the ability... 

Product specifications for microbial food enzymes have been estabUshed by JECEA and ECC. They limit or prescribe the absence of certain ubiquitous contaminants such as arsenic, heavy metals, lead, coliforms, E. coli and Salmonella. Furthermore, they prescribe the absence of antibacterial activity and, for fungal enzymes only, mycotoxins. 

Finally, Part III also includes two reviews (Chapters 17 and 19) of the relative risks and novel strategies available to reduce mycotoxin and enteric pathogen contamination in organic crop production systems, for mycotoxin and fungal alkaloid contamination in organic and conventional production systems (Chapter 17) and for the microbiological safety of fruit and vegetables (Chapter 19). 

Strategies to reduce mycotoxin and fungal alkaloid contamination in organic and conventional cereal production systems... 

Fusarium moniliforme sya verticillioides causes the so-called ear rot disease in maize and produces fumonisin B, (IB,), one of the most frequently detected mycotoxins in the food supply chain worldwide (Steyn, 1995). FBi can inhibit lipid formation, particularly in the liver. Fumonisins have been detected and investigated only relatively recently. Several structurally related forms of fumonisins (FBS) have been associated with human cancer (e.g. FB with oesophageal cancer) as well as with a host of problems in livestock fed with FB -contaminated feed (D Mello, 2003 Benbrook, 2005). 

Factors affecting mycotoxin/alkaloid contamination of cereal grains... 

Although there is no close correlation of crop infection and mycotoxin production, all efforts to reduce mycotoxin contamination of cereal grains start with agronomic factors that can be controlled to minimize crop infection. 

There are significant differences between cereal species in their susceptibility to mycotoxin-producing fungi and/or my cotoxin contamination levels. For example, wheat is generally more frequently contaminated with DON than rye (Tanaka et al., 1988 Lepschy et al., 1989 Doll et al., 2002), but rye usually has higher levels of ergot contamination than wheat. 

Compared to the preventative strategies described above, weed control is thought to have a relatively minor effect on Fusarium infection and mycotoxin levels in grain, but there are few studies available. However, it should be noted that weed density is often higher in organic farming systems and that certain weeds can act as alternative hosts for Fusarium. For example, Fusarium contamination has been detected by Meier (2003) especially on climbing... 

Effect of harvest conditions and post-harvest handling on mycotoxin contamination levels... 

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