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Document 32013H0165

Mycotoxins in cereals

Date of last review:
09/01/2018
Initial creation date:
09/07/2017
Summarised document(s):
Author:
Publications Office of the European Union
Responsible entity(ies):
Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety

Mycotoxins in cereals

SUMMARY OF:

Recommendation on certain mycotoxins in cereals and cereal products

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE RECOMMENDATION?

It seeks to encourage EU countries’ authorities and food and animal feed businesses to:

  • monitor for the presence of T-2 and HT-2 toxin1 in cereals and cereal products; and
  • investigate where findings above the indicative level2 are found in more than one batch of the same product (known as ‘repetitive findings’).

KEY POINTS

  • Sampling and analysis must be carried out in line with Regulation (EC) No 401/2006 in the case of cereal or cereal products for use as human food and in line with Regulation (EC) No 152/2009 in the case of those used for animal feed. These regulations set performance criteria for the analysis of T-2 and HT-2 toxin.
  • The recommendation invites EU countries to encourage samples to be simultaneously analysed for the presence of T-2 and HT-2 and other Fusarium toxins in order to assess the extent of co-occurrence.
  • Rice is not included in cereals and rice products are not included in cereal products in this recommendation.
  • Where the indicative levels are exceeded, EU competent authorities, with the active involvement of the feed and food businesses, should carry out investigations:
    • to identify the factors resulting in these levels and determine the measures to be taken to avoid or reduce their presence in future; and
    • to examine the effect of feed and food processing on the presence of the T-2 and HT-2 toxin.
  • EU competent authorities and businesses should ensure they regularly provide analytical results to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which enters them in a database. Each year, competent authorities provide the European Commission with a report on the outcome of the investigations.

Guidance document

The Commission has prepared a guidance document for EU countries and food and feed businesses. This is designed to ensure the recommendation is applied consistently throughout the EU.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

KEY TERMS

  1. T-2 and HT-2 toxin: naturally occurring moulds of fusarium fungus, found in certain grains, with toxic effects on both human and animal health. Fusarium fungi are common toxin-producing fungi and are commonly found on cereals grown in the temperate regions of Europe, America and Asia.
  2. Indicative level: these are not feed or food safety levels; nor are they maximum limits or limits that, if exceeded, trigger action from enforcement authorities with a view to imposing penalties. They are intended to provide guidance on where to focus investigations. Indicative levels for the various cereals and cereal products are set out in the annex.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Commission Recommendation 2013/165/EU of on the presence of T-2 and HT-2 toxin in cereals and cereal products (OJ L 91, , pp. 12-15)

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