A survey of total hydrocyanic acid content in ready-to-eat cassava-based chips obtained in the Australian market in 2008.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a widely consumed food in the tropics that naturally contains cyanogenic glycosides (cyanogens, mainly composed of linamarin, acetone cyanohydrin, and hydrocyanic acid). If cassava is not adequately processed to reduce the level of cyanogens prior to consumption, these compounds can lead to the formation of hydrocyanic acid in the gut. Exposure to hydrocyanic acid can cause symptoms ranging from vomiting and abdominal pain to coma and death.

Determination of Aflatoxins in Foods Using HPLC and a Commercial ELISA System.

A commercially available enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system and a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method were used simultaneously to analyze 178 samples of foodstuffs for total aflatoxins. High correlation coefficient values between results of the two methodologies were obtained (>0.96) with nuts, nut products, peanuts, and peanut butter.