BE AWARE OF MYCOTOXINS IN FOOD

• Molds are living microorganisms that can grow and multiplied on moist places so, they are present in air, soil, plants even stored food in refrigerator making the food unpalatable  and unfit for human consumption.

• There are thousands of known mold species, Some are beneficial as mushrooms , yeasts used in bread fermentation and cheese production and also, penicillin, The famous natural antibacterial drug produced by penicillum spp and was firstly discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming.

• Other types of  molds constitutes a public health hazards as well as many of economic losses as they not only causes sliminess, offensive odours, off-flavours and the unpalatable taste that render the food of inferior quality. But also, It also produces a very toxic metabolites called mycotoxins which cause a disease called mycotoxicoses manifested by carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, estrogenic, immunosuppressive and anabolic effects.

   What are mycotoxins??

• Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced by  molds on many food staffs like grains, vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, and spices. And mold can form when exposed to certain conditions , like high humidity, moisture and wetness during storage.
• Most of mycotoxins are stable chemically and survives over heat treatment for long a  time. 
• There are several hundred types of mycotoxins, the most commonely identified by the reaserchers were (aflatoxins, ochratoxins, fumonisins, patulin and nivalenol).

• Biologists have classified mycotoxins into hepatotoxins, nephrotoxins, neurotoxins and immunotoxins,..

 How Can Mycotoxins Be Transmitted To Human??

• Molds when exposed to their favorable growth conditions can excrete mycotoxins into the food substrate  and then disappear when these conditions of growth disappeared. However, the excreted toxins remains in the food substrate, By consumption of such food , The excreted toxic metabolites are deposited in human and animal where they can cause mycotoxicoses disease. 

      1. Exposure to mycotoxins can occur directly through eating contaminated food as beans, nuts, corns, spices and vegetables like garlic and onions

      2.  Indirectly through  consuming animals by- products like drinking the milk of animal fed on fungus-contaminated feed or eating poultry liver where mycotoxins may be stored. 

      

     3. Inhalation of very large doses of certain molds can result in poisoning by mycotoxins. 

 What are the dangers of mycotoxins in food??

• By consumption of contaminated food with mycotoxins,  These toxic metabolites are deposited in human cells and cause a diseases called  mycotoxicoses  which are manifested by carcinogenic, hepatotoxic, mutagenic, teratogenic, cytotoxic, estrogenic, immuno suppresive and anabolic effects.

•  Even after inhalation of large doses of contaminated food, The live mold invades the tissue of the lung or respiratory tract and respiratory infection can be occured . This is not significant for healthy people, but can be very dangerous for people with weak immune system as elder people and children. 

•  In case of  dietary aflatoxin consumption( a famous type of mycotoxins that are produced from Aspergillus Flaves and Aspergillus Fumigatus species). These aflatoxins are capable of destroying the liver and the kidney in human resulting in death. The researchers have reported  a direct relation between dietary aflatoxin intake and the incidence of liver cancer. In 2000, FDA ( Food and Drug Administration)  has stated that levels of aflatoxins in food must be not more than 20 ppb. Furthermore, FDA has estimated the amount of crop losses from mycotoxins in agricultural products in united states and it was in average of 932 million dollar annually.  

How Can I Minimize The Risk of Mycotoxins??

• Clean up and dry out your home frequently every day
• Get rid of any damaged food  in your kitchen.
• Avoid high humidity and moisture in your kitchen by opening the windows and keeping the equipments and utensils dry.
• Inspect vegetables, fruits, nuts and spices regularly and discard any discolored moldy one.
• Keep your vegetables and fruits clean and dry in the refrigerator.
• Avoid storing the food in the refrigerator for more than three days to avoid mold growth.
• Frequently use vinegar and water for soaking vegetables and fruits before washing and drying.

 What are the rules of WHO ( World Health Organization)??

• WHO allows national authorities to monitor  levels of mycotoxins in foodstuff present in markets as low as possible due to their extreme toxicity. 
• International experts conducted scientific reviews of all studies and  data on mycotoxins that affect foodstuff  and manage strict control  measures to prevent  their contamination.
• WHO controls the maximum levels for mycotoxins in food. so, the maximum levels for aflatoxins set by the Codex in  grains, nuts and milk are from 0.5 to 15 µg/kilogram . While the maximum limit for patulin in apple juice is 50 µg/liter.