Content (Syllabus outline)
The main content fields:
• Introduction: the history of toxicology up to modern toxicology; branches of toxicology and meaning of food toxicology.
• Classification of toxins: expert terminology and definitions of technical terms from field of food toxicology; classification of toxins according to their toxic doses, according to their physiological effects and according to probability of arising in foods.
• Toxicity : acute, subacute and chronic toxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenesis, and parameters used for descriptions of toxicity (LD50, NOAEL, ADI, PMTDI, PTWI, TEF). Factors that affect human exposure to toxin, entrance, absorption, distribution, accumulation, metabolism and excretion of toxin. Specific and nonspecific effects of toxins (toxicodynamics and toxicokinetics).
• Toxicity tests: descriptions and examples of main groups of toxicity tests: in vitro test systems, in vitro tests and epidemiological studies.
• Overview of the main groups of toxins: biological toxins in foods, toxins naturally present in foods, anthropogenic toxins in foods.
• Control, regulation and risk assessment: official control of contaminants and toxins in foods, systems for setting up standards over expert committees (JEFCA, JMPR) in frame of Codex Alimentarius.
Prerequisites
a) Inscription in the 1st year of study
b) Finished laboratory exercises, is a prerequisite for taking the final exam