A review is presented of the circumstances in which chemicals known to produce experimental tumors have been found in the diet of humans or animals. At the present time the instances in which this occurrence is known to take place concern (a) the natural product, (b) toxins produced by fungi contaminating the natural product, (c) chemicals added to the natural product for its preservation at different stages of processing, (d) products of the reaction between an additive and the natural product and (e) derivatives of the natural product which are formed during cooking. Aflatoxins, nitrosamines and polycyclic hydrocarbons are among the most powerful carcinogens which can be found in food.
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