Furthermore, many countries rely on earnings from agricultural exports to fund development activities, and mycotoxin contamination can jeopardize this trade. Thus, mycotoxins are a concern of everyone working to protect health, achieve adequate and safe food supplies and raise living standards. Reducing the risk of mycotoxin contamination of food and animal feed requires the combined efforts of agricultural research centres, nutrition and health institutions, training and extension programmes and regulatory agencies. The articles in this issue of Food, Nutrition and Agriculture were among the excellent papers prepared for the March Conference. The aim of this issue is to inform readers of the efforts being made to minimize the risks posed by these naturally occurring toxicants.
Mycotoxins are fungal metabolites that are present in a large part of the world s food supply.
They pose a potential threat to food safety. While the complete elimination of mycotoxins from foods would be an impossible goal, it is important to ensure that their levels do not threaten health. In recent years, a variety of interrelated approaches have been developed to assess the hazards, monitor exposure and determine the associated risks. These processes need to be transparent so that the hazards and the need for risk management and intervention are clear. Aflatoxins are considered to be human liver carcinogens, aflatoxin B 1 being the most potent.