Mycotoxins and Food Safety

Book excerpt: Mycotoxins, from the Greek "mukes" referring to fungi or slime molds and toxin from the Latin "toxicum" referencing a poison for arrows, have earned their reputation for being potentially deleterious to the health and well being of a consuming organism, whether it be animal or human. Unfortunately, mycotoxins are a ubiquitous factor in the natural life cycle of food producing plants. As such, control of the potential impact of mycotoxins on food safety relies heavily upon accurate analysis and surveys followed by commodity segregation and restricted use or decontamination through processing. The purpose of this book is to provide the most comprehensive and current information on the topic of mycotoxins and assuring food safety. Chapters represented in the book reflect such diverse topics ranging from occurrence and impact, analysis, reduction through processing and plant breeding, toxicology and safety assessments to regulatory perspectives. Authors represent a range of international perspectives.