INTRODUCTION TO FOOD TOXICOLOGY

Uniqueness of Food Toxicology

Nature and Complexity of Food
Importance of the Gastrointestinal Tract
SAFETY STANDARDS FOR FOODS, FOOD
INGREDIENTS, AND CONTAMINANTS
Food and Color Additives
SAFETY OF FOOD
• Adverse Reactions to Food or Food Ingredients
• Food Allergy
• Food Toxicity (Poisoning)
• Food Idiosyncrasy
• Anaphylactoid Reactions
• Food–Drug Interactions
• Metabolic Food Reactions
Toxins in Fish, Shellfish, and Turtles
• Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP)
• Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (Domoic Acid)
• Ciguatera Poisoning
• Palytoxin Poisoning
• Puffer Fish Poisoning (Tetrodotoxin)
• Moray Eel Poisoning
• Abalone Poisoning (Pyropheophorbide
Microbiological Agents—Preformed Bacterial Toxins

• Clostridium Botulinum, C. butyricum and C. baratti

• Clostridium perfringens
• Bacillus cereus
• Staphylococcus a
SAFETY OF FOOD
Adverse Reactions to Food or Food
Ingredients
• Food Allergy
• Description Food hypersensitivity (allergy) refers to a reaction
involving an immune-mediated response. Such a response is
generally IgE-mediated, although IgG - and cell-mediated
4

immunity also may play a role in some instances (Fukutomi et

al., 1994)
Food hypersensitivity (allergy)
• An immunologic reaction and may occur only in some patients,
may occur after only a small amount of the substance is
ingested, and is unrelated to any physiological effect of the food
or food additive
• Immune-mediated (cellular or humoral response), requires prior
exposure to antigen or cross-reacting antigen. First exposure
may have been asymptomatic
Food anaphylaxis
• A classic allergic hypersensitivity reaction to food or food
additives
• A humoral immune response most often involving IgE antibody
and release of chemical mediators. Mortality may result
Food intolerance
• A general term describing an abnormal physiological response
to an ingested food or food additive; this reaction may be an
immunologic, idiosyncratic, metabolic, pharmacological, or toxic
response
• Any untoward pathological reaction resulting from ingestion of a
food or food additive. May be immune-mediated. Celiac
disease(intolerance to wheat, rye, barley, oats)
Food toxicity (poisoning)

• A term use to imply an adverse effect cased by the direct action

of a food or food additive on the host recipient without the
involvement of immune mechanisms. This type of reaction may
involve nonimmune release of chemical mediators. Toxins may
be contained within food or released by microorganisms or
parasites contaminating food products
• Not immune-mediated. May be caused by bacterial endo- or
exotoxin (e.g.,hemorrhagic E. coli) fungal toxin (e.g.,aflatoxin),
tetrodo-toxin from pufferfish,domoic acid from mollusks,
histamine poisoning from fish (scombroid poisoning),nitrate
poisoning (i.e., methemoglobinuria)
Food idiosyncrasy
• A quantitatively abnormal response to a food substance or
additive; this reaction differs from its physiological or pharma-
cological effect and resembles hypersensitivity but does not
involve immune mechanisms. Food idiosyncratic reactions
include those which occur in specific groups of individuals who
may be genetically predisposed
• Not immune-mediated, Favism (hemolytic anemia related to
deficiency of erythrocytic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase),
fish odor syndrome, beetanuria, lactose intolerance, fructose,
intolerance, asparagus urine, red wine intolerance
Anaphylactoid reaction to a food
• An anaphylaxis-like reaction to a food or food additive as a
result of nonimmune release of chemical mediators. This
reaction mimics the symptoms of food hypersensitivity (allergy)
• Not immune-mediated. Scombroid poisoning, sulfite poisoning,
red wine sensitivity
Food–drug interaction
• A change in the pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic action of
a drug as the result of ingestion of a food
• Not immune-mediated. Ingestion of fats, phytates, or fiber to
change absorption; upregulation of genes by Brassica,
polyunsaturated fats; unregulation of polypeptide transporters
by St. Johns wort
Metabolic food reaction
• Toxic effects of a food when eaten in excess or improperly
prepared
• Cycasin, vitamin A toxicity, goiterogens, licorice
Symptoms of IgE-Mediated Food
Allergies
>Cutaneous : Urticaria (hives), eczema, dermatitis, pruritus,
rash
>Gastrointestinal : Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps
>Respiratory : Asthma, wheezing, rhinitis, bronchospasm
>Other : Anaphylactic shock, hypotension, palatal
itching, swelling including tongue and larynx,
methemoglobinemia*