Guidance document on physical Datura stramonium seed contamination


Book Description

Tropane alkaloids are a group of toxic compounds occurring in several plant families of the Solanaceae family-like Datura stramonium, that can contaminate staples like cereals and grains. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on tropane alkaloids carried out a risk assessment of these contaminants in certain food products distributed by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and provided guidance for the development of appropriate operational limits. This document builds on the deliberations from the expert meeting and provides specific guidance on the physical contamination of D. stramonium seeds in different agricultural products, namely wheat, soybean, and maize. This guidance document can be used in conjunction with the 'Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Tropane Alkaloids' to prevent contamination of cereals and grains with D. stramonium seeds, thereby also averting human poisoning outbreaks.




FAO publications catalogue 2021


Book Description

This catalogue aims to improve the dissemination and outreach of FAO’s knowledge products and overall publishing programme. By providing information on its key publications in every area of FAO’s work, and catering to a range of audiences, it thereby contributes to all organizational outcomes. From statistical analysis to specialized manuals to children’s books, FAO publications cater to a diverse range of audiences. This catalogue presents a selection of FAO’s main publications, produced in 2020 or earlier, ranging from its global reports and general interest publications to numerous specialized titles. In addition to the major themes of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, it also includes thematic sections on climate change, economic and social development, and food safety and nutrition.




Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Tropane Alkaloids


Book Description

Between March and April 2019, many cases of suspected food poisoning were reported by health care workers in the Karamoja region of the Republic of Uganda. Consumption of food products that had high levels of tropane alkaloids was identified as the cause. This group of compounds occur in several plant genera that belong to the Solanaceae family and can contaminate staples like cereals and grains. Given the absence of international guidance and regulations, a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Tropane Alkaloids was convened remotely between 30 March – 3 April 2020. This publication captures the discussions of the expert meeting and provides risks assessments of tropane alkaloids (hyoscyamine and scopolamine) as well as recommendations outlining appropriate risk management options.




Manual on MUTATION BREEDING THIRD EDITION


Book Description

This paper provides guidelines for new high-throughput screening methods – both phenotypic and genotypic – to enable the detection of rare mutant traits, and reviews techniques for increasing the efficiency of crop mutation breeding.




Climate change: Unpacking the burden on food safety


Book Description

Climate change is causing unprecedented damage to our ecosystem. Increasing temperatures, ocean warming and acidification, severe droughts, wildfires, altered precipitation patterns, melting glaciers, rising sea levels and amplification of extreme weather events have direct implications for our food systems. While the impacts of such environmental factors on food security are well known, the effects on food safety receive less attention. The purpose of Climate change: Unpacking the burden on food safety is to identify and attempt to quantify some current and anticipated food safety issues that are associated with climate change. The food safety hazards considered in the publication are foodborne pathogens and parasites, harmful algal blooms, pesticides, mycotoxins and heavy metals with emphasis on methylmercury. There is also, a dedicated section on the benefits of forward-looking approaches such as horizon scanning and foresight, which will not only aid in anticipating future challenges in a shifting global food safety landscape, but also help build resilient food systems that can be continually updated as more knowledge is assimilated. By building a more widespread and better understanding of the consequences climate change has on food safety, it is hoped that this document will aid in fostering stronger international cooperation in making our food safer by reducing the global burden of these concerns.




Hazards associated with animal feed


Book Description

The need for feed for terrestrial and aquatic animals continues to rise with the increasing demand for foods of animal origin; however, the challenge is not only to meet the growing need for feed but also to ensure its safety and thus contributing to the safety of the entire food chain. Feed safety incorporates the impact on human as well as animal health and welfare, which, in turn, can affect productivity. Hazards in feed may be inherent to feed ingredients as well as introduced during feed production, processing, handling, storage, transportation, and use. Hazards in feed may also result from accidental or deliberate human intervention. The expert meeting reviewed and discussed potential hazards in feed of chemical, biological and physical origin. It addressed hazards, as well as their occurrence in feed are described, and transfer from feed to food, relevance for food safety, impact on animal health, and emerging issues and trends. In addition, specific consideration was given to feed and products of feed production technologies of increasing relevance, for instance insects, former food and food processing by-products, biofuels (bioethanol and biodiesel) by-products, aquatic plants and marine resources.




Plant Growth and Development


Book Description

This book provides current information on synthesis of plant hormones, how their concentrations are regulated, and how they modulate various plant processes. It details how plants sense and tolerate such factors as drought, salinity, and cold temperature, factors that limit plant productivity on earth. It also explains how plants sense two other environmental signals, light and gravity, and modify their developmental patterns in response to those signals. This book takes the reader from basic concepts to the most up-to-date thinking on these topics. * Provides clear synthesis and review of hormonal and environmental regulation of plant growth and development * Contains more than 600 illustrations supplementary information on techniques and/or related topics of interest * Single-authored text provides uniformity of presentation and integration of the subject matter * References listed alphabetically in each section




Toxic Plants of North America


Book Description

Toxic Plants of North America, Second Edition is an up-to-date, comprehensive reference for both wild and cultivated toxic plants on the North American continent. In addition to compiling and presenting information about the toxicology and classification of these plants published in the years since the appearance of the first edition, this edition significantly expands coverage of human and wildlife—both free-roaming and captive—intoxications and the roles of secondary compounds and fungal endophytes in plant intoxications. More than 2,700 new literature citations document identification of previously unknown toxicants, mechanisms of intoxication, additional reports of intoxication problems, and significant changes in the classification of plant families and genera and associated changes in plant nomenclature. Toxic Plants of North America, Second Edition is a comprehensive, essential resource for veterinarians, toxicologists, agricultural extension agents, animal scientists, and poison control professionals.




Medical Toxicology of Natural Substances


Book Description

Interest and information in the field of medical toxicology has grown rapidly, but there has never been a concise, authoritative reference focused on the subjects of natural substances, chemical and physical toxins, drugs of abuse, and pharmaceutical overdoses. Medical Toxicology of Natural Substances finally gives you an easily accessible resource for vital toxicological information on foods, plants, and animals in key areas in the natural environment.




Seed-borne plant virus diseases


Book Description

Seeds provide an efficient means in disseminating plant virus and viroid diseases. The success of modern agriculture depends on pathogen free seed with high yielding character and in turn disease management. There is a serious scientific concern about the transmission of plant viruses sexually through seed and asexually through plant propagules. The present book provides the latest information along with the total list of seed transmitted virus and viroid diseases at global level including, the yield losses, diagnostic techniques, mechanism of seed transmission, epidemiology and virus disease management aspects. Additional information is also provided on the transmission of plant virus and virus-like diseases through vegetative propagules. It is also well known that seed transmitted viruses are introduced into new countries and continents during large-scale traffic movements through infected germplasm and plant propogules. The latest diagnostic molecular techniques in different virus-host combinations along with disease management measures have been included. The book shall be a good reference source and also a text book to the research scientists, teachers, students of plant pathology, agriculture, horticulture, life sciences, green house managers, professional entrepreneurs, persons involved in quarantines and seed companies. This book has several important features of seed transmitted virus diseases and is a good informative source and thus deserves a place in almost all university libraries, seed companies and research organizations.




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