[Are mycotoxins in food a health hazard?].
The effects of mycotoxins are well known since antiquity. Modern trace analysis show the wide prevalence of mycotoxins in the food chain. Aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2), trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol, T-2 Toxin, HT-2 Toxin), zearalenone, fumonisins (FB1, FB2) and ochratoxin A are the most important mycotoxins world wide. Foods of plant origin are normally contaminated more frequently and in higher concentrations than food of animal origin. The mean concentrations of mycotoxins analysed in European foods can be assed as low. This may be one reason why acute poisonings are rare incidences and why the limits of the tolerable daily intake (TDI) levels are exceeded only very seldom; however the population group "infant" exceed the preliminary TDI-level for trichothecenes. The consequences of a chronic intake of low amounts of mykotoxins is hardly to assess. A participation of the aflatoxins in the pathogenesis of primary liver cancer is considered as certain. Other coherence between the dietary intake of mycotoxins and specific clinical symptoms of man are not convincingly shown till now.
Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany.
J
J
Bauer
D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000032:analysis; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D037341:Fumonisins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000506:poisoning*; D009793:Ochratoxins / Q000032:analysis; D010365:Patulin / Q000032:analysis; D014255:Trichothecenes / Q000032:analysis
D000348:Aflatoxins; D037341:Fumonisins; D009183:Mycotoxins; D009793:Ochratoxins; D014255:Trichothecenes; D010365:Patulin