Table Of ContentMycotoxins
and
phycotoxins
Advances in determination, toxicology
and exposure management
edited by:
Henry Njapau
Socrates Trujillo
Hans P. van Egmond
Douglas L. Park
Mycotoxins and phycotoxins
IUPAC
Mycotoxins and
phycotoxins
Advances in determination, toxicology
and exposure management
Proceedings of the XIth International IUPAC Symposium on Mycotoxins and
Phycotoxins, May 17-21, 2004, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
edited by:
Henry Njapau
Socrates Trujillo
Hans P. van Egmond
Douglas L. Park
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Preface
Over the last several decades research has highlighted the potential deleterious
effects to the health of man and animals some mycotoxins and phycotoxins may
cause if consumed in quantities sufficient to elicit harm. The hazards may be more
significant in economically challenged regions of the world where the means to detect
and segregate contaminated commodities, and alternatives to consuming food that
could be adulterated, may be lacking.
Although recorded history is replete with evidence of mycotoxin-associated food
poisoning incidents or outbreaks such as those arising from ergot poisoning during
the middle ages in Europe and food spoilage and shortages during World War II in
Russia and Japan, the aflatoxicosis outbreak affecting ducklings and Turkey poults
that occurred in England in the 1960s, commonly called Turkey-X disease, brought
to the forefront the potential for mycotoxin occurrence in animal feed with no
apparent visual evidence of fungal contamination. In the Turkey-X incident, a feed
ingredient, peanut meal, produced in Brazil and subsequently included in the feed
rations in England, was shown to be the source of the toxic agent, later identified as
aflatoxin, that had been naturally produced by Aspergillus species. This aflatoxicosis
incident demonstrated that there could be significant animal and/or human health
problems from consuming products with no apparent visual presence of moulds.
This fact prompted the scientific and regulatory communities to conduct in-depth
research on factors leading to mycotoxin contamination of foods and feeds including
the presence of other non-aflatoxin mycotoxins.
Similarly, phycotoxin-associated toxic events could have occurred in history but
may have been associated with other causes. Although highly disputed by others,
some scholars believe that the biblical story in Exodus 7: 20-21, where Moses turned
Egyptian waters into blood could have been the phenomenon called red tides. The
significance of red tides and harmful algal blooms (HAB) has become apparent
with time. Currently incidents of human poisoning due to the consumption of
phycotoxin-tainted seafood have been reported worldwide and the events are often
named after the causative agent, i.e. ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP), amnesic shellfish
poisoning (ASP), diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP), neurotoxic shellfish poisoning
(NSP) or paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). The importance of these hazards to local
communities and globally is perhaps best illustrated by the increase in regulations
targeted at minimizing exposure to the phycotoxins. In addition to these marine
biotoxins, toxins from blue-green algae, found in fresh and brackish waters are a
hazard to health and therefore need continuous attention.
Mycotoxins and phycotoxins
The XIth International IUPAC Symposium on Mycotoxins and Phycotoxins was
part of an ongoing series of symposia initiated by the International Union of Pure
and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Division of Chemistry and the Environment,
Subcommittee on Food Chemistry (formerly Food Chemistry Commission); the
first, covering only mycotoxins, was held in Kungalv, Sweden in 1972. Since then nine
symposia have been held in Pulawy, Poland; Paris, France; Lausanne, Switzerland;
Vienna, Austria; Pretoria, South Africa; Tokyo, Japan; Mexico City, Mexico; Rome,
Italy and Guarujá, Brazil. The symposia series has grown in scope, scientific novelty
and value. It has become the principal international interdisciplinary meeting on
mycotoxins and phycotoxins focusing initially on analytical methodology necessary
to detect and control contamination in human food (and animal feed). Later symposia
topics included the toxicological potentials of the mycotoxins and phycotoxins,
occurrence and management of the risks they pose to the consumer globally. The
XIth symposium assessed progress or advances made in relation to the overall focus
of the series and the evolving global perspective of food safety.
The meeting attracted about 240 participants from 40 countries underscoring the
international character of the symposium series. A significant number of attendees
were from developing countries; many participating under the auspices of the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-led international outreach program on
mycotoxins. The outreach program has, since its inception in 2002, also received
substantial financial and material support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS); the Joint Institute for Food Safety and
Applied Nutrition (FDA/ University of Maryland); the United Nations’ Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO), and
several US-based food and agribusiness industries. In addition to participating in the
main symposia, the mycotoxins outreach program held a satellite session at which 8
country reports were presented.
The quality and novelty of scientific research and discovery that was shared at the
XIth Symposium on Mycotoxins and Phycotoxins demonstrated that the scientific
community is ready to meet the evolving challange of ensuring global food safety. This
book is not a compendium of all the 225 oral and poster presentations made at the
sympsoium: it contains only selected peer-reviewed papers. Submitted manuscripts
were reviewed by experts in the specific topic areas and the editors selected
recommended manuscripts that exceeded set quality standards in order to uphold the
established pre-eminence of the symposia series. Nevertheless, the contents of this
book encompass the current state of understanding of mycotoxins and phycotoxins,
critical ecological parameters and interactions, advances in methodology, toxicology,
and strategic management interventions that could minimize the negative effects of
Mycotoxins and phycotoxins
mycotoxins and phycotoxins on the well being of consumers. The symposia series
has been, and will continue to be, of prime importance to public health managers,
educators and researchers worldwide. Preparations for the XIIth International IUPAC
Symposium on Mycotoxins and Phycotoxins are progressing well. This conference
will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, May 21-25, 2007.
The editors
Henry Njapau
Centre for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Food and Drug Administration, College Park,
Maryland, USA
Email: [email protected]
Socrates Trujillo
Centre for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Food and Drug Administration, College Park,
Maryland, USA
Email: [email protected]
Hans P. van Egmond
Laboratory for Food and Residue Analysis
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment,
Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Email: [email protected]
Douglas L. Park
Centre for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Food and Drug Administration, College Park,
Maryland, USA
Current Address: 20 Gettysburg North, Cabot,
Arkansas, USA
Email: [email protected]
Mycotoxins and phycotoxins
