Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVIII, Issue 2
Written by Mihaela VILCU, Elisabeta Elena POPA, Mona Elena POPA
In order to ensure effective protection of public health, it is mandatory that the level of food contaminants present in the cereal value chain to be below the maximum level established by the regulations in force, and not to be placed on the market or used as ingredients or mixed with other food products if they don’t comply with these limits. Cereals can be contaminated through exposure to polluted environment, mycotoxins and heavy metals being a significant source of contamination. These contaminants are considered a public health concern, having an impact on the food security and the economy of many countries, their monitoring being important. There are certain situations in which food is contaminated with mycotoxins and heavy metals, but which can hardly be controlled at all or is only poorly controlled. Therefore, the aim of this review is to offer an update of the incidence of these contaminants on the cereal value chain, the accumulation in the cereal and cereal-based products, the mitigation of these contaminants and the impact on the human health.
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