Review : mycotoxins in food (1) cereal grains and their products.

Fungal poisons have been known for many years but they have not been considered a major factor in human health problems until almost the last two decades. Epidemics of dry gangrene and various derangements of man was common feature in Europe from the 11th through the 16th centuries. A disease called holy fire was actually ergotism and was caused by a related group of alkaloids from the sclerotia of a mould Claviceps purpurea. The source of the ergot which contained the toxin was infested rye, which was ground into flour, baked and consumed by the affected persons (Forgacs and Carl, 1962).