SHRIRAM FOOD AND PHARMA RESEARCH CENTER offers comprehensive testing services to ensure your food products are free from harmful Naturally Occurring Toxic Substances (NOTS).
What are NOTS?
NOTS are naturally occurring toxins found in some foods. These toxins can originate from fungi, plants, or marine environments. Consuming food with high levels of NOTS can lead to various health problems, ranging from mild illness to severe organ damage.
Types of NOTS and Examples:
- Fungal Toxins: Produced by molds and fungi that grow on crops during storage or after harvest.
- Mushroom Toxins: The infamous Death Cap mushroom contains enough toxins to be fatal, causing severe stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These toxins can ultimately lead to liver failure.
- Aflatoxins: These potent carcinogens contaminate grains, nuts, and spices like maize, rice, figs, and cocoa beans.
- Ochratoxins: Found in cereals, coffee, dried fruits, and even wine, ochratoxin A (OTA) is particularly concerning. It damages kidneys and DNA and can harm a developing fetus.
- Plant Toxins: Produced by plants as a defense mechanism against insects and herbivores.
- Hydrogen Cyanide: Found in raw cassava, bamboo shoots, and the pits of some fruits like cherries and apricots, high consumption of hydrogen cyanide can lead to rapid poisoning.
- Glycoalkaloids: Present in potato sprouts and green parts, particularly bitter-tasting potatoes, these toxins can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Since cooking doesn’t destroy them, it’s important to remove potato sprouts and green areas before consumption.
- Lectins: Lectins in raw beans, especially red kidney beans, can cause severe stomach upset. Soaking and cooking beans properly destroys these toxins.
- Marine Toxins: Accumulate in seafood through the food chain as larger fish consume smaller fish containing the toxins.
- Mercury: Concentrated in large fish like sharks, swordfish, and marlin, mercury exposure can harm the developing brain in babies exposed in the womb.
- Ciguatera Toxin: Consuming fish containing this toxin can cause neurological problems like numbness and tingling, as well as gastrointestinal issues like nausea and diarrhea.
FSSAI Guidelines and SHRIRAM’s Role in Food Safety
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) sets safe upper limits for various NOTS in food products.
Visit here for more detailed guidelines and permissible limits: https://www.fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Compendium_Contaminants_Regulations_20_08_2020.pdf
SHRIRAM FOOD AND PHARMA RESEARCH CENTER is committed to food safety. Our NABL-accredited laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art instruments for testing food samples for a wide range of NOTS. Our experienced scientists stay up-to-date on the latest testing methods to ensure the accuracy and reliability of results.
Contact Us Today
For a free consultation or a proposal for customized NOTS testing in your food products, contact SHRIRAM FOOD AND PHARMA RESEARCH CENTER at +917668106301.
Let’s work together to ensure the safety of your food supply!
