Food agency communicates on mycotoxins

November 26, 2004

All news : November 2004

25/11/2004 - Europe comes closer to rubber stamping harmonised

controls for controlling mycotoxins in the food chain and the

ish food agency offers stakeholders a snapshot of recent talks.

A group of scientific experts met up in October under the umbrella

of Europe's Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health

(CCFAC), to discuss a way forward for tighter rules on range of

mycotoxins.

Under the spotlight, informs the ish food agency in a letter

this week, were aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, fusarium toxins,

zearalenone, and deoxynivalenol.

Mycotoxins in food are produced by fungal contaminants and are often

genotoxic carcinogens. Since ancient times these substances,

produced by moulds that have contaminated and grown on foods, have

caused sickness, and in extreme cases death, in people and farm

animals. But they rest a modern day problem that the food industry

must tackle on a daily basis.

It has been estimated that 25 per cent of all agricultural crops

worldwide are contaminated by moulds that produce mycotoxins. The

toxins are mostly found in cereals, nuts, cocoa and coffee beans,

but also in other foods, like wine, dried fruits and meat,

particularly when the water content/activity and the temperature are

poorly controlled.

In brief, the ish food standards agency reports that a rule

setting maximum limits for ochratoxin A in coffee products, wine and

grape juice and musts has been out for WTO consultation, which ended

on 31 October.

" Only two WTO member countries have commented and voiced their

concerns that the rules will be extended to green coffee, but

welcomed the fact that the levels were higher that those currently

being applied by one member state, " said the agency, that adds it

was agreed to include a requirement that the Commission collate and

circulate the results of the monitoring by Member States. The date

of application will be 1 April 2005 and the draft regulation was

adopted by qualified majority vote.

Further details about the mycotoxins pinpointed can be accessed on

the FSA site.

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