Mycotoxins in food - the application of survey and quality control.

or ergotism was first recorded in the Middle Ages and has been a periodic human affliction until the last major episode in England in 1928’. The ergot alkaloids are the mycotoxins responsible for this disorder: they arise from the infestation of rye by the ergot fungus Claviceps purpurea. Aflatoxicosis was discovered as a result of an outbreak of ’Turkey X’ disease in the United Kingdom in 1960; this disorder resulted in the death of about 100,000 turkey poults and ducklings following the ingestion of Brazilian groundnut cake. Subsequent animal studies at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge showed the potential risk to man of aflatoxin, the mycotoxin responsible for aflatoxicosis; rats fed contaminated groundnut cake developed liver tumours2. A recorded outbreak of aflatoxicosis in man