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The Hidden Threat of Cancer-Causing Toxins: Why Patulin Is a Health Risk in Fruit?
Fruit is naturally an indispensable and important part of our daily diet. Apples in particular, as one of the most widely consumed fruits in the world, are often seen as a symbol of health. However, as consumers' expectations for delicate and delicious seafood grow, fruit diseases and the carcinogenic toxins hidden in them have begun to receive widespread attention. Among them, Patulin, a carcinogenic metabolite that may exist in apples, is one of the main factors causing health crises.
Patulin is produced by Penicillium expansum, a cold-growing fungus that is widely distributed in soil. Although it is primarily a disease of apples, it can also infect a variety of other crops such as pears, strawberries, tomatoes, etc.
Penicillium toxicum and its carcinogenic properties
Penicillium expansum is a cold-growing fungus that is not only commonly found in soil, but can also infect a variety of crops, including fruit such as apples and pears. Diseases caused by this fungus usually occur when the fruit is injured. As a pathogen, when it infects the host, it uses the toxins it produces to facilitate invasion, including Patulin.
Patulin is a neurotoxin that poses a threat to human health, especially to children. This is because many children are keen on drinking apple juice and eating apple products, which are one of the main sources of Patulin. Government agencies have strict regulations on the content of Patulin in food, but monitoring and control remains a difficult task.
Disease development and infection routes
Penicillium expansum infection mainly occurs in wounds on the fruit. The fruit may suffer slight damage during harvesting, packaging or handling, and these wounds provide opportunities for fungal invasion. After infection, lesions on the fruit develop over time, eventually forming obvious lesions, which usually show complex color changes.
Affected fruit often has an earthy, musty odor and lesions can develop rapidly under refrigerated conditions, forming visible lesions. If not handled properly, it will lead to more widespread plant diseases.
Management and control measures
To combat infection by P. expansum, post-treatment of fruit is currently the most common control method. The risk of infection can be effectively reduced by using pesticides and maintaining good hygiene conditions. In addition, soaking fruits in chlorine water has also been shown to effectively kill pathogens. In addition, the use of biopesticides, such as active ingredients from bacteria and yeast, has also shown some effectiveness in preventing and controlling infections, but it is ineffective against already infected fruits.
Importance and future challenges
Considering the size of the apple product industry and the potential risk of exposure to affected fruit to the general public, effective control of the spread of Penicillium expansum to reduce the occurrence of Patulin is an urgent issue we face. As consumers’ demand for non-toxic food increases, how to protect public health without affecting the safety and edibility of products has become a challenge that all sectors must face together.
Faced with such a severe health crisis, we should actively explore how to more effectively monitor and prevent such hidden carcinogenic toxins to ensure our food safety?
