Mycotoxins in foodstuffs /

The information in this book would have been easier to access and use if Weidenborner (emer., Institute for Applied Microbiology, Germany) had created a Web site on mycotoxins. The introduction offers no explanation of the biology or chemistry of mycotoxins (toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi). Neither the author's methodology nor his goals are discussed. Apparently having combed the literature on mycotoxins (he includes more than 870 citations), Weidenborner lists foods from acha to yogurt, along with their documented mycotoxins. Under each mycotoxin entry, the author lists all the other foods that have been documented with it. The bulk of this expensive volume is thus filled with thousands of redundant cross-references to foods and their mycotoxins, all of which are listed somewhere else. The text has been meticulously cross-referenced, but the editing is questionable. For example, the author lists three kinds of sauce: sauce, leaf sauce (?), and peanut sauce. Similarly, there is a single listing each for "rolls," "sandwich," "snacks," and "drugs," rendering these categories next to useless. However, if one is interested in liver, the reader will find eight types listed with their mycotoxins, under which there are hundreds of cross-referenced items such as nut cocktail, drink, extrudates, Mchuzi Mix, poonac, ragi, and pig muscle. Summing Up: Not recommended. S. Hammer Boston University