Food Toxicology 2(2+0)

Lesson 13 : Animal Toxins and Plant Toxicants

Risk Reduction Measures

In some cases, appropriate methods of food processing and thorough cooking can be employed to destroy or reduce the level of toxin. In other cases where the toxin cannot be reduced or removed, intake should be limited. Thorough cooking destroys enzyme inhibitors and lectins of beans. Soaking in water, and boiling also remove some cyanide-generating compounds in the foods concerned. Removal of gonads, skin, and parts of certain fish eliminates toxins concentrated in these tissues. In general, whether a substance poses harm depends on its concentration, amount of intake and the health status of individual since the body can detoxify low levels of many potentially dangerous substances. As a rule of thumb, the public should follow the conventional ways of food processing that are known to be safe, and maintain a balanced and varied diet so that exposures to certain types of natural toxins can be kept to a safe level.