Introduction to Aflatoxin and Food Safety—Part II

Abstract

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi that have deleterious effects on animals and/or humans. Aflatoxins are a very toxic group of mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus species such as A. flavus Link, A. parasiticus Speare, and A. nomius Kurtzman, Horn, and Hesseltine. These fungal species are found on many food and feed crops, especially corn (Zea mays L.), cottonseed (Gossypium hirsutum L.), peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), and tree nuts. Aflatoxins are of great threat to food safety around the world. The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST, 2003) lists aflatoxins as a major group of mycotoxins of concern, along with fumonisins, trichochothecenes, and ochratoxins. Recently, several studies have reported cocontamination of field samples by aflatoxins along with various other mycotoxins. Recently, fumonisins have been reported to be carcinogenic to animals. The presence of multiple toxins in food raises additional safety concerns. Thus, this second issue devoted to aflatoxin food safety also will address the significance of aflatoxins in relation to other mycotoxins to give us a better understanding of their total impact. The first special issue, Aflatoxin and Food Safety—Part I, was published as Journal of Toxicology–Toxin Reviews, Vol. 22, Nos. 2 & 3, pages 139 to 459, 2003. That issue covered a variety of topics ranging from the financial impact of mycotoxin contamination in the U.S. and other parts of the world to strategies for reducing aflatoxin contamination in several crops and with multiple modalities. Also considered were molecular genetic techniques to study aflatoxin biosynthesis, and techniques for measuring aflatoxin in food, feed, and other biological specimens. The current issue expands the