ABSTRACT
The foregoing chapters discussed various functional and nutraceutical aspects of marine resources and their importance in healthcare. Although, in general, marine food products are considered reasonably safe, concerns regarding presence of toxins, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms, etc., in the products are growing stronger particularly with respect to international seafood trade. Whereas marine algae, both macroalgae and microalgae, are good sources of nutraceuticals and polysaccharide food additives, as discussed in previous chapters, safety of algae, with respect to toxins, is of paramount importance in determining overall safety of marine products. Some marine organisms have also evolved to produce certain unique compounds for their defence. Some of these compounds are extremely toxic, particularly to mammalian systems; the marine toxins being more potent in toxicity compared with many terrestrial poisons (see Chapter 12). In addition, some seafood items are also known to cause allergic reactions to consumers. Therefore, this chapter discusses the safety hazards of marine products and some measures for controlling the risks.
