| Abstract | This document summarizes available information on mycotoxins as they affect human and farm animal populations in Canada. Mycotoxins may occur in both imported and Canadian-grown foodstuffs and feedstuffs. Among the imports of concern to the food industry and the Health Protection Branch (HPB) of Health and Welfare Canada (HWC) are peanuts, Brazil nuts and pistachios containing aflatoxins, because of the highly carcinogenic properties of aflatoxin B1 and the potential human health hazard. Unlike the situation in certain other countries, there appears to be no problem of aflatoxin occurrence in Canadian-grown crops and feedstuffs. In addition to dicoumarol, which is not a true mycotoxin, those mycotoxins that do occur to a significant extent in Canadian commodities are Fusarium toxins, notably zearalenone and the trichothecene deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin), ergot alkaloids - all formed in grains - and patulin in apple juice; to a lesser extent, ochratoxin A may also be present in Canadian grains and feeds. DON has been found mainly in wheat grown in eastern Canada. The impact of that fact on the grain trade and the concern regarding human and animal health have generated considerable Canadian research and regulatory effort on this mycotoxin. |
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