Quantification of Endotoxin and Inflammatory Potential in Foods

Objectives: Endotoxins are a class of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) produced by gram-negative bacteria that bind the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), which induce an inflammatory response via the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) pathway. Endotoxin has been detected in dairy, meat, and processed foods, but not in fruits and vegetables. There is evidence that grains could be a source of LPS, but its detection and inflammatory potential in foods have not been fully characterized and standardized methods are lacking.