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Food-Associated Toxicants

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Modern Concepts in Gastroenterology

Part of the book series: Topics in Gastroenterology ((TGEN))

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Abstract

Food is an intrinsically intriguing subject and the possibility of toxin exposure through food is a matter of intense interest. This interest can sometimes manifest itself as irrational anxiety with exaggerated fears and unsubstantiated claims. In general, however, human food sources in the Western world are subject to careful regulation and screening, and most of these anxieties are groundless. Nevertheless, episodes of serious contamination of food do occur from time to time. In this review, I will pick out major examples of food-associated toxicants, placing these in perspective, without attempting a comprehensive account of all food-associated toxicants. The interested reader will find such in several texts and reviews.1-5 Although toxic substances can contaminate drinking water, this will not be dealt with in the present article.

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Barrowman, J.A. (1992). Food-Associated Toxicants. In: Thomson, A.B.R., Shaffer, E. (eds) Modern Concepts in Gastroenterology. Topics in Gastroenterology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3314-6_7

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