Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds that are naturally produced by different types of fungi. Mycotoxins enter the food chain as a result of infection of crops before or after harvest and are typically found in foods such as cereals, dried fruits, nuts and spices.

The presence of mycotoxins in food and feed may cause adverse health effects in humans and animals, ranging from gastrointestinal and kidney disorders to immune deficiency A lack of a necessary factor in, for example, the diet or the environment which results in harm to the growth of an organism. and cancer.

Exposure Concentration or amount of a particular substance that is taken in by an individual, population or ecosystem in a specific frequency over a certain amount of time. to mycotoxins can happen by eating contaminated foods or from animals that are fed contaminated feed. The most common mycotoxins that pose a concern to human or animal health include aflatoxins, ochratoxin A and Fusarium toxins such as deoxynivalenol.

Since temperature and humidity are important parameters for the growth of fungi, climate change is anticipated to impact on the presence of mycotoxins.

Latest

In January 2024, EFSA assessed the risks to animal health related to the ingestion of ergot alkaloids in feed. Experts concluded that there is a health concern for pigs and cattle, while the risk is low for poultry, sheep and goats.

Ergot is a fungus that grows on cereal grains and grasses. It produces toxic compounds known as ergot alkaloids which can cause, among other effects, severe vasoconstriction of small arteries.

EFSA's role

EFSA collects and evaluates occurrence The fact or frequency of something (e.g. a disease or deficiency in a population) happening. data on mycotoxins in food and feed. It also prepares guidance for applicants on how to conduct the safety and efficacy How well something works in relation to predefined standards or expectations. assessment of feed additives that help to reduce the contamination of feed by mycotoxins.

EFSA provides risk managers with scientific advice to inform their decision-making on the setting of maximum levels of mycotoxins (such as aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol or zearalenone) in food and feed. It looks at the related risks posed to human and animal health and may set Tolerable Daily Intakes for various mycotoxins.

Experts assess human and animal exposure using occurrence data, in particular, from monitoring activities in EU Member States. This includes exposure for specific population Community of humans, animals or plants from the same species. groups e.g. infants and children, people following specific diets and for different animal species A subdivision of the genus, a species is a group of closely related and similar-looking organisms; for example, in the case of Homo sapiens (humans), the second part of the name (sapiens) represents the species. (such as farm animals, fish and pets).

With regard to mycotoxins in feed, EFSA also considers the level of carry-over from feed to foods of animal origin and identifies feed materials which could be considered as sources of exposure.

EFSA ensures the continuity of data collection on mycotoxins, integrating newly generated occurrence data into existing databases and supporting the creation of new ones.

EU framework

EU legislation protects consumers by:

• Setting maximum levels for mycotoxins in food and feed to ensure they are not harmful to human or animal health.
• Keeping mycotoxin levels as low as reasonably achievable following recommended good agricultural, storage and processing practices.

See the latest on the EU legislation on mycotoxins.