This report reveals that substantial knowledge is available about the aflatoxin challenge that plagues African farmers, other agri-entrepreneurs, and governments. Commissioned by the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) in collaboration with the African Union Commission - Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA), this literature review reveals that a wide range of commodities that are traded nationally, regionally and internationally are contaminated by aflatoxins. African citizens and economies are negatively impacted as a result.

The book deals with mycotoxins, their presence in various types of food, and how to prevent their presence in food . In addition to well-known molecules, such as aflatoxins or fumonisins, some contributors have dealt with emerging mycotoxins (e.g., alternaria toxins, botryodiplodin). Readers of the book can also find a new approach to reducing aflatoxins and fumonisins in food. In conclusion, the book presents both new mycotoxins and new information on old mycotoxins.

As tree nuts and peanuts become increasingly recognised for their health-promoting properties, the provision of safe, high quality nuts is a growing concern. Improving the safety and quality of nuts reviews key aspects of nut safety and quality management.Part one explores production and processing practices and their influence on nut contaminants. Chapters discuss agricultural practices to reduce microbial contamination of nuts, pest control in postharvest nuts, and the impact of nut postharvest handling, de-shelling, drying and storage on quality. Further chapters review the validation of processes for reducing the microbial load on nuts and integrating Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Statistical Process Control (SPC) for safer nut processing. Chapters in part two focus on improving nut quality and safety and highlight oxidative rancidity in nuts, the impact of roasting on nut quality, and advances in automated nut sorting. Final chapters explore the safety and quality of a variety of nuts including almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, peanuts, pistachios and walnuts.Improving the safety and quality of nuts is a comprehensive resource for food safety, product development and QA professionals using nuts in foods, those involved in nut growing, nut handling and nut processing, and researchers in food science and horticulture departments interested in the area. - Reviews key aspects of nut safety and quality management and addresses the influences of production and processing practices on nut safety - Analyses particular nut contaminants, safety management in nut processing and significant nut quality issues, such as oxidative rancidity - Places focus on quality and safety in the production and processing of selected types of nuts

The Editorial Office of Frontiers in Plant Science would like to thank all the Chief Editors, Associate Editors and Review Editors that played an integral part in Frontiers’ innovative Collaborative Peer-Review process in 2020. In particular, we would like to recognize and thank Prof. Joshua L. Heazlewood – our now former Field Chief Editor, for his commitment, support and enthusiasm for the Plant Science field. Josh’s dedication and leadership has helped Frontiers in Plant Science become the most cited journal in the field with a strong editorial community. Looking forward, we’re excited to welcome Prof. Yunde Zhao, as our new Field Chief Editor in 2021. Having been with Frontiers in Plant Science since 2017, Yunde has contributed extensively to the development of the journal and will continue to ensure the journal goes from strength to strength.

In nearly all societies gender has been, and continues to be, central in defining roles and responsibilities related to the production, manufacturing, provisioning, eating, and disposal of food. The 2016 Yearbook of Women's History presents a collection of articles that look into food-related practices and shifting relations of gender across food systems. Authors explore changing understandings of food-related activities at the intersection of food and gender, across time and space. Articles about the lives of market women in late medieval food trades in the Low Countries, the practices of activist women in the garbage movement of prewar Tokyo, the way grain storage technologies affect women in Zimbabwe, through to the impact of healthy eating blogs in the digital age.

Aflatoxins are a naturally occurring carcinogenic byproduct of common fungi on grains and other crops, particularly maize and groundnuts. They pose a significant public health risk in many tropical developing countries and are also a barrier to the growth of domestic and international commercial markets for food and feed. In recent years the aflatoxin problem has garnered greatly increased attention from both policy and donor communities around the globe. What can be done to reduce the detrimental impacts of aflatoxins? Because growth of the molds that produce aflatoxins is caused by multiple factors, and because they must be controlled along the entire value chain from production to consumption, only a robust multifaceted approach to controlling aflatoxins is likely to be effective. The nineteen briefs in this set thus provide different perspectives on aflatoxin risks and solutions. The analyses fall under four broad themes: (1) what is known about the health risks from aflatoxins; (2) how to overcome market constraints to improved aflatoxin control by building new market channels and incentives; (3) what is the international policy context for taking action in developing countries; and (4) what is the state of research on new aflatoxin control technologies, including new methods for aflatoxin detection, crop breeding, biological control, food storage and handling, and postharvest mitigation. These briefs collectively provide a much clearer picture of the state of current efforts at combatting aflatoxins. They also identify what gaps loom particularly large—including the need for contry-specific risk analysis and for testing integrated solutions for the entire supply chain—in our global efforts to effectively reduce human exposure to aflatoxins and increase the economic returns to smallholders in agriculture.

Foodborne diseases (FBD) are an important externality of agriculture and food systems, but only recently have they risen up the development agenda as the result of growing awareness of the health and economic burdens of FBD and how they relate to food systems with a focus on low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC), particularly African nations. The health burden of FBD is comparable with that of malaria, and over 90% falls on people in LMIC, with an economic burden of more than US$100 million per year. FBD have many other, less well-estimated effects on nutrition, gender, equity, and the environment. While understanding of food safety in domestic markets of LMICs has advanced greatly, risk management is in its infancy. This Research Topic will bring together leading regional perspectives on food safety in LMICs.