Course Objectives & Requirements:

Students will learn:

1.To understand basic principles of food and nutritional toxicology related to oral exposure routes.

2.To provide an overview of potentially toxic constituents present in the food supply intentionally or naturally-occurring.

3.To understand absorption, metabolism and excretion of xenobiotic compounds.

4.To provide factual information on the topic of food safety involving specific chemical toxicants, food additives, residues, etc. such that they can assimilate and utilize this knowledge as professionals in their field.

5.To be informed of the current laws, regulations and procedures for food safety assessment.

Basic principles of food and nutritional toxicology with primary emphasis on food components and food toxins. The course will cover an overview of absorption, metabolism and excretion of xenobiotics, allergenic and toxic constituents in plant, animal, marine and fungal origin, the role of diet and nutrients in mutagenesis and carcinogenesis, food processing induced toxins and the procedures, laws and regulation of safety assessment of foods including food additives, environmental contaminants, pesticides and antibiotic residues. 

Course Contents:

1. Introduction to Food Toxicology

2. Concepts of Toxicology

3. Pesticide Residues in Food

4. Dose-Response Relationships

5. Absorption of Toxicants

6. Distribution and Storage of Toxicants

7. Biotransformation and Elimination of Toxicants

8. Target Organ Toxicity

9. Teratogenesis, Mutagenesis, and Carcinogenesis

10.  Food Allergy

11. Food Intolerance and Metabolic Disorders

12. Food Additive Safety Assessment

13. Toxicology of Selected Food Additives

14. Genetically Modified Organisms in Food

15. Food Irradiation

16. Natural Toxins in Plants and Fungi:

17. The Ecological Biochemistry of Food

18. Toxic Mold and Mycotoxins

Credits: 2