When a major wild bird food producer advised, in their catalogue for the year 2000, that they could not offer peanuts because of the high levels of aflatoxin, the phenomenon of mycotoxins had really come into the public domain. In 2001 the same company was able to advise that 'Although present in some peanut crops this season, aflatoxin is not currently creating any major peanut supply problems'. Mycotoxins, and specifically peanuts and the health of wild birds, were reviewed in earlier volumes of this journal (Isaac 1994 a, b) but the passage of time has not led to any reduction in the problems associated with the presence of mycotoxins in foods and animal feeds. Indeed, the improvement in analytical methods, and the implications of legislation in many countries have served to increase awareness of mycotoxins.
