Lauren S. Jackson - Böcker

The contents of this book are the proceedings of the ACS symposium, "Fumonisins in Food," which was held April 4-6, 1995, at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in Anaheim, CA. This symposi"Qm, which was international in scope, brought together researchers from diverse backgrounds in academia, government, and industry. Thirty-three speakers discussed topics ranging from the analysis offumonisins to toxicology and regulatory aspects. The fumonisins became the spotlight of mycotoxin research in 1988, when re­ searchers at the South African Medical Research Council isolated and structurally charac­ terized the fumonisins. Since 1988, there has been an explosion in the numbers of papers dealing with fumonisin-related topics. The interest in the fumonisins has arisen for several reasons. First, fumonisins are found in measurable concentrations in corn grown throughout the world. Second, these compounds have been implicated as the causative agents in a variety of naturally occurring animal diseases. Finally, there is speCUlation that fumonisins may in part be responsible for the high incidence of esophageal cancer in regions of the world in which corn is the staple grain.

This volume represents a comprehensive overview of safety issues relating to food processing. It contains a discussion of food processing and its effects on nutritional quality, the formation of toxic compounds, and the destruction of detrimental contaminants. Topics also include the effects of processing on microbial safety and chemical safety of food.

Mycotoxins, from the Greek "mukes" referring to fungi or slime molds and toxin from the Latin "toxicum" referencing a poison for arrows, have earned their reputation for being potentially deleterious to the health and well being of a consuming organism, whether it be animal or human. Unfortunately, mycotoxins are a ubiquitous factor in the natural life cycle of food producing plants. As such, control of the potential impact of mycotoxins on food safety relies heavily upon accurate analysis and surveys followed by commodity segregation and restricted use or decontamination through processing. The purpose of this book is to provide comprehensive and up-to-date information on the topic of mycotoxins and assuring food safety. Chapters represented in the book reflect diverse topics ranging from occurrence and impact, analysis, reduction through processing and plant breeding, toxicology and safety assessments to regulatory perspectives. Authors represent a range of international perspectives.

Mycotoxins, from the Greek "mukes" referring to fungi or slime molds and toxin from the Latin "toxicum" referencing a poison for arrows, have earned their reputation for being potentially deleterious to the health and well being of a consuming organism, whether it be animal or human. Unfortunately, mycotoxins are a ubiquitous factor in the natural life cycle of food producing plants. As such, control of the potential impact of mycotoxins on food safety relies heavily upon accurate analysis and surveys followed by commodity segregation and restricted use or decontamination through processing. The purpose of this book is to provide the most comprehensive and current information on the topic of mycotoxins and assuring food safety. Chapters represented in the book reflect such diverse topics ranging from occurrence and impact, analysis, reduction through processing and plant breeding, toxicology and safety assessments to regulatory perspectives. Authors represent a range of international perspectives.

The contents of this book are the proceedings of the ACS symposium, "Impact of Processing on Food Safety," which was held April 16-17, 1997, at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Francisco, CA. This symposium brought together re­ searchers from diverse backgrounds in academia, government, and industry. Twenty speakers discussed topics ranging from the regulatory aspects of food processing to the microbiological and chemical changes in food during processing. The main goal of food processing is to improve the microbial safety of food by de­ stroying pathogenic and spoilage organisms. Food processing can also improve food safety by destroying or eliminating naturally occurring toxins, chemical contaminants, and antinutritive factors. Unfortunately, processing can also cause chemical changes that result in the formation of toxic or antinutritive factors. The purpose of this book is to summarize our knowledge of both the beneficial and deleterious effects of processing. Chapter I con­ siders the consumer's perceptions about food contaminants and food processing. Chapter 2 summarizes the effects of traditional and nontraditional processing methods on microor­ ganisms in food. Chapters 3-6 review the effects of processing on lipids (fatty acids and cholesterol) in food. Changes in the nutritive value of vitamins and minerals as a result of processing are discussed in chapter 7. Chapter 8 concentrates on how processing reduces the allergenicity of some foods.

The contents of this book are the proceedings of the ACS symposium, "Fumonisins in Food," which was held April 4-6, 1995, at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in Anaheim, CA. This symposi"Qm, which was international in scope, brought together researchers from diverse backgrounds in academia, government, and industry. Thirty-three speakers discussed topics ranging from the analysis offumonisins to toxicology and regulatory aspects. The fumonisins became the spotlight of mycotoxin research in 1988, when re­ searchers at the South African Medical Research Council isolated and structurally charac­ terized the fumonisins. Since 1988, there has been an explosion in the numbers of papers dealing with fumonisin-related topics. The interest in the fumonisins has arisen for several reasons. First, fumonisins are found in measurable concentrations in corn grown throughout the world. Second, these compounds have been implicated as the causative agents in a variety of naturally occurring animal diseases. Finally, there is speCUlation that fumonisins may in part be responsible for the high incidence of esophageal cancer in regions of the world in which corn is the staple grain.

Consumers and other food safety professionals will also benefit from information on food allergen control measures that have been put in place across the food chain.