The environment in which foods are prepared and handled can have significant impact on microbiological safety and quality, particularly for ready-to-eat foods. Outbreaks associated with Listeria monocytogenes and salmonellae have led to an increasing awareness that certain pathogens can persist in food processing environments, contaminate foods as they are being processed and lead to foodborne ...

Since the nineteenth century, food toxicology has evolved in several ways. The analytical power of the food toxicologist has been increased. The concept of adulterated food was modified significantly. Most commodities are now processed and addition of numerous non-nutrient additives is legalised. Other "alien" compounds get introduced in the food chain from background contamination or during pr...

Aflatoxins are both toxic and carcinogenic. They are produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Food contamination by these toxins has become a serious health issue. In Africa, some of the factors responsible for it include favorable weather condition; temperature of between 24oC and 35oC and moisture level of about 7% in many parts, poverty, ignorance, drought and social probl...