It was in the 1960s when 100,000 turkeys in England began to become ill and die, that the disease was diagnosed as turkey disease X. It quickly became clear that not only Turkey, but also ducklings and young pheasants were affected and experiencing a high mortality rate. Digging deeper, the vector of the disease turned out to be a peanut imported from Brazil and eventually, after intense effort, the causative agent was found to be a species of mold called Aspergillus flavus. They further discovered that the hepatotoxic product secreted by molds is a major toxin and therefore aflatoxins were brought to light. Furthermore, the discovery that aflatoxins were carcinogenic and immunosuppressive raised serious concerns about their presence in human and animal foods, respectively. The year between 1960 and 1975 was referred to as the "mycotoxin gold rush" because many chemical prospectors were involved in the search for mycotoxins. Gradually it was discovered that aflatoxin is not only caused by improper storage, but food can also be contaminated before harvest and during processing. Major crops such as peanuts, figs, corn, cereals, rice, etc. have been classified as high-risk foods for this toxin. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay The major aflatoxins have been classified as B1, B2, G1 and G2 based on their fluorescence activity under ultraviolet light and their mobility in thin layer chromatography. Aflatoxin B1 is the most toxic and occurs at the highest level. With its concerns about the carcinogenic nature of aflatoxin, JECFA (Joint FAO/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives), in 1987, during its thirty-first meeting, assessed aflatoxin and attempted to determine the potential dose. Due to data uncertainty, the committee could not determine the aflatoxin exposure dose for liver cancer. At the twenty-sixth meeting of the CCFAC (Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants) in 1994, the CCFAC requested JEFCA to provide estimates of aflatoxin activity and, in response to this request, the JECFA, at its forty-ninth meeting in 1997, withdrew the conclusions regarding the risk assessment of aflatoxins as follows: -Aflatoxins are considered carcinogenic to the human liver and B1 is the most potent. The potency of aflatoxins in people with hepatitis B is high and therefore reducing a diet likely to be contaminated with aflatoxins will reduce the risk of liver cancer for a high-risk population. Vaccination against hepatitis B will reduce the risk of liver cancer exposure to aflatoxins. Two different hypothetical dose standards were investigated for aflatoxin contamination, one being 10 mg per kilogram and the other 20 mg per kilogram. Populations with low hepatitis B surface antigen risk and low average aflatoxin intake (less than 1 ng per kilogram of body weight per day) are not likely to have major differences in risk of population. On the other hand, populations in which hepatitis B surface antigen is positive and have high dietary aflatoxin intake would benefit from reduced aflatoxin intake. Keep in mind: this..