engleski

The regulatory framework for mycotoxins and plant toxins in the service of health protection

The importance of healthy food in our everyday life is unquestionable. Advances in food technology, globalization of trade but also climate changes and new eating habits provide new opportunities for food production, processing, and distribution. The food we consume can contain potentially harmful substances, be they natural ingredients of food or contaminants. Mycotoxins and plant toxins as natural contaminants, produced by fungi and plants respectively, generally have a negative impact on the quality of food and may represent a risk to human health by reducing people’s access to healthy and sufficient food. To protect public health, one of the fundamental demands is to keep these toxins in food at toxicologically acceptable levels. Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 and its amendments stipulate the legal limits on mycotoxins and plant toxins in food for the EU. Maximum levels (MLs) and/or guidance levels were established for aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, citrinin, patulin, major Fusarium toxins (deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, fumonisins, T2 and HT2- toxins), and ergot sclerotia. Discussions on the setting of maximum levels for ergot alkaloids in food have been finalised. Regarding plant toxins, maximum levels for erucic acid, hydrocyanic acid, and tropane alkaloids in certain foodstuffs exist. For pyrrolizidine alkaloids draft legislation is in the final stage of approval. Regulation of acetylated and glucoside forms of deoxynivalenol, Alternaria toxins and opium alkaloids is being considered and the list is not exhaustive. Also, in current legislation, changes are anticipated to MLs for foodstuffs not yet covered as well as a revision of existing MLs.

Food quality ; Food safety ; Legislation ; Maximum level ; Natural toxins

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