Natural Toxins in Food

Naturally occurring toxicants in foods are those chemicals of natural origin that may present a hazard to consumers under typical circumstances of exposure. They can be either natural constituents or contaminants of the food. Most of the potentially hazardous naturally occurring toxicants are ingested at doses that are unlikely to cause widespread illness, although the margin of safety is often lower for naturally occurring toxicants than it is for food additives. For example, the majority of the carcinogens in our diets are of natural origin. However, our diets also contain many naturally occurring compounds that have been shown to have anticarcinogenic activity in experimental animals and may also demonstrate similar activity in humans. Lifestyle choices can affect the likelihood of experiencing adverse reactions to the ...