TOXICANTS IN FOOD 1.FROM LATIN toxicum (poison) 2.EFFECT ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS WITHIN AN INDIVIDUAL 3.

POISON IS A CHEMICAL THAT HAS A LETHAL DOSE OF 50 mg/Kg BODY WEIGHT (LD50) or less. 4.TOXICITY: ability of a chemical to damage a biological system, to produce injury HAZARD: probability that injury will result from use of a chemical (at a given exposure)

DOSE-RESPONSE EFFECT ACCEPTABLE DAILY INTAKE (ADI) Daily dose of a chemical which, if taken during the entire lifetime, appears to be without appreciable risk (safe) Calculated by dividing No effect level by 100

TYPES OF TOXICANTS: NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL

TOXICANTS AS NATURAL CONSTITUENTS Constituents are chemical entities that are part of

the normal composition of a food material CHOLINESTERASE INHIBITORS: ENZYME cholinesterase FOUND IN NERVE TISSUES ROLE IN TRANSMISSION OF NERVE IMPULSES CHEMICALS THAT INHIBIT ACTIVITY OF ENZYME SOLANINE SKIN OF POTATOES (2-13 mg/100g) greening potatoes (80-100 mg/100g) INSOLUBLE IN WATER NOT DESTROYED BY COOKING PEELING (2-8 mg SOLANINE/ Kg b.w.) HUMANS DISPLAY DROWSINESS, INCREASED SENSORY SENSITIVITY, DIFFICULTY BREATHING

CYANOGENIC GLYCOSIDES: COMPOUNDS THAT YIELD HYDROGEN CYANIDE ACIDIC CONDITIONS OR ENZYMES HIGHER PLANTS: cassava, yam, maize, sugar cane, lima beans, peas, almonds, lime, apple, pear, cherry

AMYGDALIN FOUND IN BITTER ALMONDS, FRUIT PITS CYANIDE IS RAPIDLY ABSORBED IN THE GI TRACT HCN inhibits cytochrome oxidase (mitochondria cells), cell death NON FATAL DOSES PERMIT RECOVERY BY: Respiratory exchange Metabolic detoxification processes HUMANS LETHAL DOSE (0.5-3.5 mg/ kg b.w.) 100 g bitter almonds = 250 mg HCN 250 mg HCN/70 kg man = 3.57 mg/ kg b.w. (fatal)

TOXICANTS AS NATURAL CONTAMINANTS They are present because of the presence of mould, bacteria or plant/animal MYCOTOXINS:

AFLATOXINS (Aspergillus flavus) ERGOTISM (Claviceps purpurea) St. Anthonys Fire Rye and other cereal grains Chemical ergot (alkaloids around lysergic acid) similar to LSD (hallucinations, insanity)

BACTERIAL TOXINS: Clostridium botulinum, E. coli O157:H7, etc. SEAFOOD TOXINS: HISTAMINE, SAXITOXIN, DOMOIC ACID, TETRODOTOXIN

HISTAMINE POISONING FROM EATING SCOMBROID FISH TUNA, MACKEREL, SKIPJACK NAUSEA, VOMITING, FACIAL FLUSHING, THIRST, ITCH OF THE SKIN EFFECTS SUBSIDE IN 12 h DEATH HAS RESULTED IN SOME CASES HISTAMINE PRODUCED FROM BACTERIAL ACTION ON FLESH OF THE FISH (TMA) CONSTRICT BLOOD VESSELS (ELEVATE BLOOD PRESSURE) SAXITOXIN CHEMICAL RESPONSIBLE OF paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) MUSSELS, OYSTERS, CLAMS, SOME CRUSTACEANS THESE FILTERING ORGANISMS WILL ABSORB THE TOXIN & CONCENTRATE IT IN THEIR TISSUES TOXINS PRODUCED BY DINOFLAGELLATE ALGAE (PLANKTON CAUSING RED TIDES) MUSCULAR AND NERVE PARALYSIS ALTER sodium TRANSFER ACROSS NERVE/MUSCLE WALLS LETHAL DOSE (1.0-4.0 mg/ kg b.w.)

DOMOIC ACID RESPONSIBLE FOR amnesic shellfish poisoning

DISCOVERED IN CANADA (PEI) IN 1987 107 CASES ACUTE POISONING CONSUMPTION OF BLUE MUSSELS PERMANENT MEMORY LOSS NEUROTOXIN CAUSES LESIONS IN CNS PRODUCED BY A TYPE OF diatom TETRODOTOXIN (TTX) ISOLATED FROM PUFFER FISH (fugu poisoning) FOUND IN THE OVARIES, INTESTINE, LIVER, SKIN MEAT IS CONSIDERED A DELICACY SYMPTOMS ARE TINGLING SENSATION (FINGERS, TOES, LIPS, TONGUE) MINUTES AFTER EATING REFLEXES OF PUPIL AND CORNEA ARE LOST PARALYSIS, RESPIRATORY DISTRESS, DEATH MODE OF ACTION SIMILAR TO SAXITOXIN LETHAL DOSE (1.0-4.0 mg/kg b.w.) CARE MUST BE TAKEN WHEN GUTTING AND CLEANING THE FISH

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICANTS INHABIT THE ENVIRONMENT NOT INTENDED TO BECOME PART OF THE FOOD SUPPLY THEY HAVE SOME PROPERTY THAT MAKES THEM USEFUL TO US (RISK-BENEFIT PERSPECTIVE) SOME DISPLAY TOXICITY AT CONC. MANY TIMES GREATER THAN WHAT WE FIND IN FOOD PESTICIDES, ANIMAL DRUGS, FOOD ADDITIVES

PESTICIDES

CONTROL UNWANTED PLANTS, INSECTS, ANIMALS, BACTERIA, PARASITES AND MOULDS KILL OUTRIGHT, INTERFERE WITH GROWTH DEVELOPMENT USUALLY ORGANIC CHEMICALS SYNTHETICALLY PRODUCED NATURALLY PRODUCED (PLANTS) REGISTERED BY Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada REVIEWED BY SCIENTISTS AT THE Health Protection Branch of Health Canada TOXICITY TESTS, LD50, ADI MAXIMUM RESIDUE LIMITS ARE ESTABLISHED MRLs ARE FAR BELOW THE ADI REGULATIONS FOR USE by Canadian Food Inspection Agency: A. limitations to agricultural commodities it can be used upon B. times of application C. withholding times before can be sold to consumers

FOOD SAMPLES CONTAIN PESTICIDES RESIDUES WELL BELOW MRL MOST FOOD SAMPLES DO NOT CONTAIN DETECTABLE LEVELS OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES DAILY PESTICIDE INTAKES AVERAGE < 1% OF THE ADI COOKING, CANNING, BAKING, DRYING, FREEZING CAN REDUCE OR ELIMINATE RESIDUES INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM): USE OF PESTICIDES ON A LIMITED BASIS CROP PROTECTION METHODS ROTATING PESTICIDES (MINIMIZE PEST RESISTANCE, SECONDARY INFESTATIONS)

ANIMAL DRUGS ANTIBIOTICS AND HORMONES REGULATED BY Health Protection Branch of Health Canada ANIMAL FEEDS W/GROWTH PROMOTERS (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) ANTIBIOTICS ADDED TO ANIMAL FEED (<200ppm): Reduce mortality Prevent infections, animal diseases RESIDUES IN EDIBLE TISSUES, MILK, EGGS TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS PERFORMED MINIMIZE HUMAN EXPOSURE TO ANTIBIOTICS FROM FEED: Producers must follow prescribed withdrawal periods Based tissue clearance times Antibiotic levels drop below detectable levels MILK: TESTED BEFORE PROCESSED INTO FLUID MILK, BUTTER, CHEESE, YOGURT

1. ACUTE TESTS TESTS CARRIED OUT FOR A FEW DAYS USE OF AT LEAST 2 SPECIES ANIMALS (ONE MUST BE A NON-RODENT) TOXICITY REPORTED WITH THE LD50 LD50 = DOSAGE REQUIRED TO KILL HALF OF THE ANIMALS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP 2. SUB-CHRONIC TESTS CARRIED OUT FOR 2-3 MONTHS DOSE-RESPONSE CURVE ESTABLISHED LOWEST DOSE THAT PRODUCES NO HARM USED ESTIMATES SAFE DOSE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION NO OBSERVABLE LEVEL (NOEL)

3. CHRONIC TESTS MORE THAN 3 MONTHS (COMPLETE LIFE SPAN) USE 2 RODENT AND 1 NON-RODENT SPECIES INFORMATION ON CUMULATIVE TOXICITY