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Mycotoxin – Fact Sheet

What are they?

Mycotoxins are naturally occurring toxins produced by certain fungi that can grow on foods such as cereals. Most mycotoxins can survive food processing such as flour milling. From a UK perspective there are two main mycotoxin types:

i) Storage Borne: These are mycotoxins formed during storage. The main one of concern for the UK is Ochratoxin A(OA). OA is produced by several fungi of the Aspergillus and Penicillium genera (mainly penicillium verrucosum).

ii) Field Borne: These are mycotoxins formed pre-harvest. The main group are known as trichothecenes, of which the most well known mycotoxin is deoxynivalenol or DON. Most field borne mycotoxins are produced by species of Fusarium fungi.

Where and when do they occur?

i) Storage Borne: Contrary to previously held views, OA formation can occur relatively quickly (one to two weeks) in grain stored above 17%. For longer term storage moisture content should be reduced to 14.5%. Temperature and relative humidity should also be monitored.

ii) Field Borne: Mycotoxins such as DON occur as a result of fusarium presence in crops at or around the time of flowering. Whilst there is no direct correlation between the amount of fusarium infection and the consequent level of DON contamination, the amount of rainfall at the time of flowering is an indicator of risk level.

What legislation applies?

Legislation for OA has been in force since 2001. The current levels for cereals are contained within Commission Regulation 123/2005:

Legislation for fusarium toxins in foodstuffs applies for grain placed on the market from 1st July 2006. They are:

Levels for feed grain remain under discussion but are likely to be agreed in early 2006 as guidance, rather than mandatory, levels. The current suggested guidance levels for DON are

At what point in the chain does this legislation apply?

The legislation first applies from the point at which unprocessed cereals are placed on the market – ie. at the point the farmer makes them available for sale. Each part of the chain then has an obligation to meet the required levels on all grain it sells on.

From when does this legislation apply?

Legislation for OA is already in force and should be complied with.
Legislation for fusarium toxins in grain for food use applies from 1st July 2006 – with the exception of grain offered for intervention when the rules apply from 1st November 2005 (ie. now in force)
There is currently no date for introducing the guidance levels on fusarium toxins in grain for feed use.

What are company’s obligations?

At each point in the chain the seller has an obligation to meet the requirements of the legislation. Farmers therefore have the first responsibility at the point they put crops on the market. In meeting this obligation a company needs to understand the level or risk posed. On the basis of a risk assessment a sampling and testing protocol can then be developed to demonstrate due diligence and compliance.

What information is available to help a company meet its obligations?

There are two main pieces of work which will deliver information on mycotoxins and the threat in any one particular year:

The first is a risk assessment which RPA will use to determine the level of testing it is required to undertake on all cereals offered into intervention. This will seek to establish, through information provided principally by the owner (grower) of the grain being offered, whether there is a low, medium or high risk of infection. RPA will produce a scoring system against which crops can be assessed – this will include issues such as region, weather, previous cropping etc. It is hoped this scoring system will be published shortly.

The second piece of work is an assessment for DON of samples drawn from flour millers, maltsters and feed compounders. This is part of an ongoing HGCA funded project on contaminant monitoring. Samples will be drawn post harvest and submitted for DON testing, with the results being made available to the industry. This work is seen as central to determining what level of risk can be applied to UK crops and therefore crucial to informing a company’s own risk assessment.

It should be borne in mind however that neither of these pieces of work are likely to yield substantive information until, at the earliest, late October each year.

What are the steps a company can take to show due diligence?

Ensure those responsible for the purchase and sale of grain are aware of the legislation and understand the company’s obligation
Ensure all suppliers are made aware of their obligations under the legislation, in particular the need to manage their own risk assessment and test according to findings
Monitor, pre-harvest information relating to the threat of fusarium ear blight infection in cereal crops.
In conjunction with farmer suppliers, use of the attached risk model will indicate the level, and targeting, of testing which is required.

What tests are available?

CCFRA is currently in the advanced state of assessing a small number of rapid analysis test kits for DON, both single use dispstkc tests and mutli-sample assays. When this work is completed it will provide independently assessed rapid result tests for industry use. Further details will be made available once this assessment work is completed.

FUSARIUM RISK MODEL

This link will open an Microsoft Excel Risk Assesment Sheet from the HGCA