PAHs belong to a group of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The article is a survey of literature concerning the PAH content in uncooked as well as processed and cooked food. PAHs/POPs are very common cancerogenic and mutagenie pollutants. They can reach food through the consecutive links of the food chain. Hence they create a serious health hazard. The quoted literature indicates that these pollutants are very common in uncooked as we! processed and cooked food. PAHs occurring in plant matter are usually adsorbed on the surface of the leaves or roots. In some cases they also uptake to plants. Plant contamination is caused mainly by air deposition. As far as processed and cooked food is concerned the PAH content depends on its preparation. Extremely intense PAH contamination is in smoked fish and meat as well as products prepared over open name (e.g. barbecue). Cereal and vegetables are the main PAH sources in a human diet.

Fumonisins are highly toxic metabolites produced by Fusarium proliferatum and Fusarium verticillioides. Little is known about the effects of a chronic low level of fumonisins on intestinal structure and innervation in monogastric animals, even though the intestine is the first organ exposed to fumonisins. The influence of the most prevalent strains of fumonisins, FB1 and FB2, on intestinal and liver morphology, the enteric nervous system and intestinal epithelial cell prolif- eration was investigated in an experimental rat model of fumonisin intoxication. Adolescent (5-weeks-old), male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group (C group) not treated with fumonisins or intoxicated with fumonisins (FB group). FB1 together with FB2 were daily administered intragastrically at a dose of 90 mg/kg body weight for 21 days. The damaging effect was assessed by determination of the activity of ALAT and AspAT. Samples from the small intes- tine and liver were taken and blood samples were collected to determine the activity of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and amylase. The exposure to FBs resulted in histopathological degenerative alterations in hepatocytes, including mild vacuolar degeneration and ballooning. FB exposure was also toxic in the duodenum and jejunum, where significant changes in morphology, cell proliferation, collagen wall fibres and innervation were observed. Taken together, the results obtained strengthen the hypothesis that chronic exposure to FBs could induce intestinal damage, including damage to the enteric nervous system and may have consequences for general health.