The presence of toxic substances such as aflatoxin in foods poses a serious threat to food safety. The negative effects of aflatoxins on human health can cause very serious consequences. These substances have the potential to cause liver damage and cancer. If food products contain aflatoxins, they are deemed unfit for consumption and may need to be destroyed.
What is aflatoxin?
Aflatoxin is a chemical compound that has frequently come to the fore in recent years and directly affects human life. Aflatoxin, one of the many toxic substances produced by molds, is produced especially by the mold species called Aspergillus flavus. Among these substances, aflatoxin has toxic properties that can cause negative effects on human and animal health. The name “aflatoxin” is derived from the name of the mold (Aspergillus flavus) and the word “toxin” meaning poison. Aflatoxin, as a substance that can be found in food products, poses a major threat to human and animal health and is therefore a compound that requires attention.
What causes aflatoxin?
In response to the question of how aflatoxin occurs; It is a toxic compound produced by fungal species such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. These fungi appear especially in food products and can multiply rapidly in a humid environment such as 25-30°C. If agricultural products are stored in humid and hot conditions after harvest, the amount of aflatoxins increases. Therefore, the risk of contamination of aflatoxins in foods increases.
How to detect aflatoxin?
Although mold is a visible organism, it is not possible to say that every type of mold contains aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is a substance that cannot be detected by observation and can only be seen through laboratory tests. However, it is not necessary for a food to be moldy to contain aflatoxin.
What are the harms of aflatoxin?
Aflatoxins are toxic compounds that can cause serious adverse effects on human and animal health. Long-term and high-dose exposure can cause cancer, especially liver cancer, as well as other health problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified aflatoxin B1 as a human carcinogenic substance.
However, aflatoxins also have a negative effect on the immune system. This reduces the body’s resistance level to diseases. As a result, exposure to aflatoxins can cause long-term harm to overall health.