A Taste of Wellness for Savoury and Snacks
Givaudan
Since ancient times mycotoxins, produced by moulds that have contaminated and grown on foods, have caused sickness, and in extreme cases death, in people and farm animals. But they rest a modern day problem that the food industry must tackle on a daily basis.
A European Commission-funded network - Project No: QLK1-2000-01248 - under the co-ordination of Richard Lawley atLeatherhead Food International has set out to gather together data on HACCP control systems for mycotoxins in the food chain.
Now available online , the project synthesised fact sheets on 12 mycotoxins, accumulated information on analytical and decontamination methods, as well as on legislation. The website also makes reference to the new FAO manual on HACCP to control mycotoxins, which can be downloaded.
It has been estimated that 25 per cent of all agricultural crops, worldwide, are contaminated by moulds that produce mycotoxins. The toxins are mostly found in cereals, nuts, cocoa and coffee beans, but also in other foods, like wine, dried fruits and meat, particularly when the water content/activity and the temperature are poorly controlled.