Abstract
Complex secondary metabolites, some of which are highly toxic to mammals, are produced by many marine organisms. Some of these organisms are important food sources for marine animals and, when ingested, the toxins that they produce may be absorbed and stored in the tissues of the predators, which then become toxic to animals higher up the food chain. This is a particular problem with shellfish, and many cases of poisoning are reported in shellfish consumers each year. At present, there is no practicable means of preventing uptake of the toxins by shellfish or of removing them after harvesting. Assessment of the risk posed by such toxins is therefore required in order to determine levels that are unlikely to cause adverse effects in humans and to permit the establishment of regulatory limits in shellfish for human consumption. In the present review, the basic principles of risk assessment are described, and the progress made toward robust risk assessment of seafood toxins is discussed. While good progress has been made, it is clear that further toxicological studies are required before this goal is fully achieved.
Highlights
Humans are exposed to many chemicals in their food
These have been published as Guideline 420 (Fixed Dose Procedure) [7], Guideline 423 (Acute Toxic Class Method) [8] and Guideline 425 (Up-and-Down Procedure) [9]. All these procedures have been designed to minimise the number of animals required to estimate the acute toxicity of a chemical, and all require that the protocol described in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidance Document on Humane Endpoints [10] is followed
That at the present time, no in vitro test method is sufficiently accurate to replace animals for regulatory hazard classification purposes [12,13], in vitro cytotoxicity tests are recommended for determining starting doses for acute toxicity testing in animals, reducing the number required for the in vivo study [13]
Summary
Humans are exposed to many chemicals in their food. These may be added deliberately, as in the case of food additives, or through contamination by substances found naturally in the environment or Toxins 2013, 5 by residues from chemicals used in food production, such as pesticides, anthelmintics, antibiotics and growth promotants. The question arises as to whether such food additives and contaminants have adverse effects on human health. In order to address this question, the process of risk assessment is undertaken
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