Fungal toxins in raw and fermented meats

Abstract

Fungi impact human health directly or indirectly via mycoses, allergies, and mycotoxicoses. A mycosis is as an invasion of living tissue by a fungus, whereas allergies are manifestations of a hyperactive immune response induced by fungal cell components. In contrast, mycotoxicoses are toxic effects in animals that result from ingestion of fungal secondary metabolites known as mycotoxins. While mycoses and allergies to fungi have not been a major concern in meat consumption, mycotoxins theoretically can persist in meats as tissue residues carried over from contaminated feeds or occur as a result of toxinogenesis during meat fermentations that characteristically include mold growth. Numerous mycotoxins have been identified during the last thirty years. Some of these compounds such as aflatoxin B₁ are potent carcinogens, while others impair normal digestive, reproductive, neurologic or immunologic function (Pestka and Casale, 1990; Pestka and Bondy, 1989). Significant questions exist over the extent to which meat-borne mycotoxins pose a health threat and these impact on both approaches to animal husbandry and food technology. This chapter describes those mycotoxins of primary concern to human health, reviews their capacity to be transmitted to edible animal tissues, and discusses their potential occurence in molded meats.