[Fungal spoilage of foods and its risk assessment]

From the second half of the 1990s, an increased regard has been given to the fungal spoilage of foods as follows: 1) post-harvest diseases and losses of fruits and vegetables, 2) deterioration of low water activity foods by xerophilic fungi, 3) contamination of psychrotolerant or psychrophilic fungi on foodstuffs and processed foods during storage and distribution at low temperature, and 4) spoilage of heat processed foods and soft drinks by heat-resistant fungi. In accordance with an international concern about food safety, mycotoxin contamination of foods has gained much global attention in recent times owing to its potential health hazards. The evaluation of mycotoxin hazards is principally based on the determination of a no-observed effect level (NOEL) in long-term toxicological studies, and the application of a safety factor (usually 100). In addition to hazard assessment, data on the natural occurrence of mycotoxins in various commodities and food intake data are needed to enable exposure assessment. Thus risk assessment of mycotoxins is, in fact, the product of hazard assessment and exposure assessment. In 1997, the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) considered estimates of the carcinogenic potency of aflatoxins and the potential risks associated with their intake. Recently the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) has established standards for aflatoxin M1 in milk and for patulin in apple juice. The Codex is an international organization, supported by FAO/WHO, aiming at facilitating world trade and protecting the health of the consumer by developing international standards for food and feeds. Apart from aflatoxins, the JECFA has measured a provisional tolerable daily intake (TDI) for ochratoxin A, patulin, deoxynivalenol, T-2/HT-2 toxins, zearalenone and fumonisins. In 2001, the mycotoxins evaluated or re-evaluated at the JECFA meeting included ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, T-2/HT-2 toxins, fumonisins, and aflatoxin M1. In Japan, specific regulations now exist for deoxynivalenol (1.1 ppm) in wheat grains and for patulin (50 ppb) in apple juice and its products.