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Unavoidable, natural contaminants in foods may have ei-ther chemical or biological origin. Mycotoxins—toxic secondary metabolites of fungi—are biological in origin. Despite efforts to control fungal contamination, toxigenic fungi are ubiquitous in nature and occur regularly in worldwide food supplies due to mold infestation of susceptible agricultural products, such as cereal grains, nuts, and fruits. Thousands of mycotoxins exist, but only a few present significant food safety challenges. The natural fungal flora associated with foods is dominated by three genera—Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium, which except for the Fusarium plant pathogens, may include commensals as well as pathogens. The chemical structures of mycotoxins produced by these fungi are very diverse (refer to Figure 1 for structures), as are the characteristics of the mycotoxicoses they can cause (ICMSF 1996). Ergotism is the oldest identified mycotoxicosis in humans. This mycotoxin represents a group of alkaloids that grow on the heads of grasses, such as wheat and rye. Ergot was responsible for a disease of the Middle Ages known as “St. Anthony’s Fire,” so named for the burning sensation caused in victims’ limbs. The Spartans apparently suffered an ergot epidemic in 430 BC and European epidemics date back as far as 857 AD (Bove 1970). Ergotism has also been associated with the Salem witch trials in the 1600s in Massachusetts (Caporael 1976). More recent outbreaks, associated with economic upheaval and war, have occurred in Russia (1924 and 1944), Ireland (1929), France (1953), and Ethiopia (1978). Although ergot poisoning continues to pose a challenge …