Mycotoxins in human nutrition and health
The European Commission, DG XII, has published the results of a study entitled "Mycotoxins in human nutrition and health", funded under its specific RTD programme in the field of agriculture and fisheries (FAIR). The study focuses on the assessment of the occurrence and biological significance to humans, in the European Union, of fungal poisons, or mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are naturally occurring toxic, chemical compounds produced by fungi infecting agricultural crops, particularly cereals and oilseeds, both during crop growth and in storage, as well as in processed foods and feeds. Such compounds, when ingested, can produce toxic syndromes in humans and animals. Individual mycotoxins differ in the degree and manner of their toxicity to humans and animals. The study forms part of a series of studies launched by the FAIR programme on important issues pertaining to food and non-food research. These studies are designed to present the current state-of-the-art and make recommendations for future research which could remove obstacles to introducing new technologies and products from the agro-industrial sector into the market place.