BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuAflatoxinAflatoxins are toxins produced by a mold (fungus) that grows on nuts, seeds, and legumes.ToxinsToxins are substances created by plants and animals that are poisonous (toxic) to humans. Toxins may also include some medicines that are helpful in...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Function Although aflatoxins are known to cause cancer in animals, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows them at low levels in nuts, seeds, and legumes because they are considered "unavoidable contaminants."The FDA believes occasionally eating small amounts of aflatoxin poses little risk over a lifetime. It is not practical to attempt to remove all traces of aflatoxin from food products in order to make them safer. Food Sources The mold that produces aflatoxin may be found in the following foods:Peanuts and peanut butter Tree nuts, such as pecans Corn Wheat Oil seeds, such as cottonseed Side Effects Aflatoxins ingested in large mounts may cause acute liver damage. Chronic intoxication may lead to weight gain or weight loss, loss of appetite, or infertility in men. Recommendations To help minimize risk, the FDA tests foods that may contain aflatoxin. Peanuts and peanut butter are some of the most rigorously tested products because they often contain aflatoxins and are widely eaten.You can reduce aflatoxin intake by:Buying only major brands of nuts and nut butters Discarding any nuts that look moldy, discolored, or shriveled Open ReferencesReferencesMurray PR, Rosenthal KS, Pfaller MA. Pathogenesis of fungal disease. In: Murray PR, Rosenthal KS, Pfaller MA, eds. Medical Microbiology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 58.National Cancer Institute website. Aflatoxins. www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/aflatoxins. Updated December 5, 2022. Accessed February 24, 2023.Patierno SR. Environmental factors. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Kastan MB, Doroshow JH, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 10.AllVideoImagesTogRelated Information Toxins(Special Topic) Review Date: 1/2/2023 Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
AflatoxinAflatoxins are toxins produced by a mold (fungus) that grows on nuts, seeds, and legumes.ToxinsToxins are substances created by plants and animals that are poisonous (toxic) to humans. Toxins may also include some medicines that are helpful in...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Function Although aflatoxins are known to cause cancer in animals, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows them at low levels in nuts, seeds, and legumes because they are considered "unavoidable contaminants."The FDA believes occasionally eating small amounts of aflatoxin poses little risk over a lifetime. It is not practical to attempt to remove all traces of aflatoxin from food products in order to make them safer. Food Sources The mold that produces aflatoxin may be found in the following foods:Peanuts and peanut butter Tree nuts, such as pecans Corn Wheat Oil seeds, such as cottonseed Side Effects Aflatoxins ingested in large mounts may cause acute liver damage. Chronic intoxication may lead to weight gain or weight loss, loss of appetite, or infertility in men. Recommendations To help minimize risk, the FDA tests foods that may contain aflatoxin. Peanuts and peanut butter are some of the most rigorously tested products because they often contain aflatoxins and are widely eaten.You can reduce aflatoxin intake by:Buying only major brands of nuts and nut butters Discarding any nuts that look moldy, discolored, or shriveled Open ReferencesReferencesMurray PR, Rosenthal KS, Pfaller MA. Pathogenesis of fungal disease. In: Murray PR, Rosenthal KS, Pfaller MA, eds. Medical Microbiology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 58.National Cancer Institute website. Aflatoxins. www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/aflatoxins. Updated December 5, 2022. Accessed February 24, 2023.Patierno SR. Environmental factors. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Kastan MB, Doroshow JH, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 10.