Global significance of mycotoxins

This is a review of the consequences of the five agriculturally-important mycotoxins on human and animal health as well as of their economic consequences on human health, animal production and international trade. Unlike man-made chemicals, there is unambiguous evidence that deoxynivalenol, aflatoxin, fumonisin and zearalenone cause acute and/or chronic disease in humans and, for ochratoxin A there is good evidence for renal damage. Increasingly, the immunosuppressive properties of mycotoxins are being taken into account in evaluating their impact on human health. In developing countries, up to 36% of disease burdens measured by Disability-Adjusted Life Years lost are due to diseases known to be modulated by mycotoxins. Economic losses are also profound. Tn North America, perhaps $US 10 billion is lost per year mostly from reductions in animal productivity. One study of three Asian countries suggested that ca. $400 million per year was lost. The need to use high quality science in determining international guidelines fcr mycotoxin concentrations is reviewed using proposed CODEX limits on ochratoxin A as a model.