Site pages
Current course
Participants
General
Topic 1
Topic 2
Topic 3
Topic 4
Topic 5
Topic 6
Topic 7
Topic 8
Topic 9
Topic 10
Topic 11
6.3. Aflatoxins
Unit 6 - Biological hazards in foods
6.3. Aflatoxins
Aflatoxins are among the several mycotoxins produced by fungi and are more potent and most widely studied toxin. First reported in 1960 in England, when more than 1 lakh turkey poults died after feeding imported peanut meal from Africa. The causative agent was identified as Aspengillus flavus and the toxin was designated as aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is produced by certain stains of A. flavus and A. parasiticus.
Foods supporting aflatoxin production
These fungi grow in a wide variety of foods/ substances – dairy products, bakery products, fruit juices, cereals, forage crops, dry fish etc. More common in peanuts, cottn seeds and corn as fungal invasion, growth and mycotoxin production takes place before harvesting. Generally, contamination and aflatoxin production is related to insect damage, humidity, weather condition and agriculture practices. These produce aflatoxin in mesophilic temperature range (25-400 C) and water activity of 0.85.
Aflatoxin types
Aflotoxin is composed of 4 major toxic substances (toxic metabolites responsible for aflatoxin) namely B1, G1 and B2 and G2 based on whether they fluoresce blue (B) or green (G) under UV light. A. flavus produces B1 and B2 (AFB1and AFB2) while, A. parasiticus produces all four aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2). AFBI is most potent of all aflatoxins.
Fishes fed aflatoxin containing feed (contaminated fish meal and other feed ingredients, contaminated feed) affects growth and also carcinogenic in trout. International guidelines permit maximum of of 30 ppb of adlatoxin in foods and feed ingredients.
Aflatoxins are among the several mycotoxins produced by fungi and are more potent and most widely studied toxin. First reported in 1960 in England, when more than 1 lakh turkey poults died after feeding imported peanut meal from Africa. The causative agent was identified as Aspengillus flavus and the toxin was designated as aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is produced by certain stains of A. flavus and A. parasiticus.
Foods supporting aflatoxin production
These fungi grow in a wide variety of foods/ substances – dairy products, bakery products, fruit juices, cereals, forage crops, dry fish etc. More common in peanuts, cottn seeds and corn as fungal invasion, growth and mycotoxin production takes place before harvesting. Generally, contamination and aflatoxin production is related to insect damage, humidity, weather condition and agriculture practices. These produce aflatoxin in mesophilic temperature range (25-400 C) and water activity of 0.85.
Aflatoxin types
Aflotoxin is composed of 4 major toxic substances (toxic metabolites responsible for aflatoxin) namely B1, G1 and B2 and G2 based on whether they fluoresce blue (B) or green (G) under UV light. A. flavus produces B1 and B2 (AFB1and AFB2) while, A. parasiticus produces all four aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2). AFBI is most potent of all aflatoxins.
Fishes fed aflatoxin containing feed (contaminated fish meal and other feed ingredients, contaminated feed) affects growth and also carcinogenic in trout. International guidelines permit maximum of of 30 ppb of adlatoxin in foods and feed ingredients.
Last modified: Monday, 30 May 2011, 9:21 AM