OT: Mycotoxins: The Cost of Achieving Food Security and Food Quality

[Guest guest]

Much more to this article. Worth clicking on the link.We don't have

a mold/fungal problem?? Yea right

Mycotoxins: The Cost of Achieving Food Security and Food Quality

K. F. Cardwell, A. Desjardins, S. H. Henry, G. Munkvold, J. Robens

Discussion

K. F. Cardwell, A. Desjardins, S. H. Henry, G. Munkvold, J. Robens

http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/mycotoxin/

In the US, the FDA has allowed a tolerance of 20 ppb for adults,

while European markets are striving for a lower CODEX importation

standard of 2 ppb. By conservative calculations of estimated lost

crop revenues and the cost of research and monitoring activities, in

the US, it costs between $500 million and $1.5 billion a year to

manage mycotoxic fungi and the toxins they produce, and that is not

including secondary industry and international trade losses.

Nevertheless, primary liver cancer as well as Hepatitis B prevalence

is low in North America. Therefore, US or Europe are unlikely to

achieve a decrease in liver cancer cases from more stringent

aflatoxin standards (24). The most recent JECFA report concluded

that a more substantial reduction in liver cancer would be obtained

by vaccination against HBV rather than by drastically lowering

aflatoxin standards (23).

On the other hand, it is very difficult to estimate the value to

society of the health of its children. The long-term economic

consequences are enormous if aflatoxin were causing poor immune-

system development in young children as it does in weaning animals.

It is conceivable that immunisation programs would be less

effective, opportunistic disease more deadly, and diseases that

impair immune system function more aggressive and virulent.

Immunotoxic food contaminants would result in increased childhood

pre-five mortality, and birth rates would have to be high in

compensation. Data on the effect of aflatoxin on child growth and

development in Africa highlight the need to maintain zero tolerance

on aflatoxin for foods destined to young children around the world,

particularly foods that are consumed frequently such as milk and

cereals. It can be assumed that much of the benefit of having strict

standards in food quality is an immeasurable return on population

health, lower birth rates but higher child survivorship, excellent

nutritional and immunological status of the population with the

concomitant results of high individual and societal productivity.

Although the risks due to Fusarium toxins are less well elucidated,

suggested advisory levels range from 0-4 ppm. As fumonisins are

found in maize and trichothecenes such as DON are found in maize,

wheat, and barely, the costs to the US could easily mount up as

quickly as those of aflatoxin. Fortunately, systems in place for

managing aflatoxin could be pressed into service for fusarium toxins

as well. Corn subject to the lowest recommended fumonisin levels

comprises a small percentage of US corn (about 3.5 percent,

including dry milling, masa, popcorn, and corn fed to horses). The

segments of the corn market that may experience increased costs as a

result of the FDA guidelines are the export and dry milling

segments. Increased costs will be primarily related to fumonisin

testing. The standardization of practical commercial tests for

fumonisins is an unresolved issue that may result in confusion

during the initial years. Depending on the annual occurrence of

fumonisins and the response of foreign buyers, these costs could be

negligible in most years. The existence of FDA guidelines may lead

to increased awareness and greater care taken by corn producers

feeding livestock on-farm, particularly swine. In this case, the net

economic effect may be positive as a result of improved animal

health.

In less developed countries residing in the tropics, from 22 percent

fumonisin to 56 percent aflatoxin incidence has been reported. No

economically feasible processing procedures are currently available

at the household level to remove toxins from foods that are already

contaminated. Sorting out poor-looking grain is the last resort, and

is effective under circumstances of general food security and

awareness of the population of the needy. Nevertheless, sorting is

subjective. In Africa, Hell (IITA Benin, personal communication)

found that the stringency of the sorting required to bring poor

quality maize into compliance with safety standards, was not likely

to be practised in situations where food security is an issue.

For all the medical literature about the toxic effects of mycotoxins

on humans and animals, for all the knowledge about the chemistry and

modes of action, for all the cost to the world and all the tea in

China, reliable solutions are still few and far between. As plant

pathologists, this problem is still on our plate after almost 30

years of research. Economically effective solutions are those that

are agricultural technology based that exclude the fungi from the

host and/or block the production of mycotoxins in the host

substrates.

Conclusions

In the USA: Aflatoxins are being reliably managed by the guidelines

in place, and the risk of exposure under current practices is not

considered to be a public health threat.

Nevertheless, the management of aflatoxins costs millions of US

dollars per year and research into definitive solutions must

continue.

The FDA guidelines for fumonisins will probably not have a traumatic

impact on corn marketing internally as the proposed levels are

achievable without a major disruption of the system.

The food industry already imposes its own standards, which are

consistent with the FDA guidelines.

However, there are some potential losses of revenue to producers in

the form of reduced prices for high-fumonisin corn, and there could

be increased costs for testing at grain elevators. The extent of

this depends on how willing the elevator operators will be to accept

high-fumonisin corn with the intent to blend it. This willingness

will vary with the overall level of contamination of the crop. In

low-fumonisin years, operators may be willing to accept occasional

fumonisin contamination without any penalty to the seller. In high-

fumonisin years, there will be more testing and a greater tendency

to reduce the price paid for contaminated grain.

In developing countries: There is little doubt that high levels of

exposure of people to food-borne mycotoxins is a serious threat to

public health. It is a developmental issue, which embraces childhood

survival, demographics, immune system function, the economic and

human resource drain due to cancers, as well as food security where

livestock feeds are contaminated.

Research is needed on inexpensive and appropriate sampling and

testing protocols.

Research on identification and application of appropriate

technologies for obtaining low grain moisture at harvest and

maintaining low grain moisture during storage are needed.

Research is needed on traditional food preparation technologies,

such as fermentations and nixtimalization, or chelating additives

such as clays or yeasts that may lower mycotoxins in prepared foods.

Research must continue to develop crop plant cultivars that are

resistant (or at least not susceptible) in the field to infection by

mycotoxin-producing fungi. Breeding for high yield alone is not

enough.

Research to reduce mycotoxin vulnerability of crops is as important

today as ever!

Electronic Resources for Further Information

See the Authors' List of