engleski

Principles of risk assessment of mycotoxins in food and feed

In order to protect European consumers from the exposure of all kinds of possible lesions and diseases of food origin the European Commission (EC) founded the independent scientific advisory board called European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). In 2003, EFSA organized Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM Panel) with the mandate to deliver scientific opinions on “contaminants in food and feed, associated areas and undesirable substances such as natural toxicants, mycotoxins and residues of non-authorized substances not covered by another Panel”. CONTAM Panel receives the requests from the EC (95 %), Member States (1 %) and the European Parliament (1 %). Since 2003 CONTAM Panel produced 107 opinions (55 on contaminants in food, 43 in feed and 9 combined assessments in food and feed), 15 out of them on mycotoxins. Evaluation of risk assessment of mycotoxins is specific because of their natural origin. Mycotoxins are products of moulds that contaminate food and feed all over the world. Low concentrations of mycotoxins are unavoidable in commodities of plant and animal origin. There are about 400 known mycotoxins, but only some of them are known to be toxic, mutagen or carcinogen in animals and humans. Mycotoxins have rather different chemical structure and their metabolism, which determines their untoward effects in organisms in most cases are not elucidated. They are stable compounds, resistant to heating and food production does not destroy them although in some cases it decreases their concentration. Risk assessment is the procedure of evaluation whether or not a hazardous chemical contaminant or undesirable substance in food is likely to be associated with adverse health effects in the population. Risk assessment is based on two components: the potential of substance to cause adverse effects (hazard) and knowledge about the human exposure to the substance. In the procedure of hazard identification in case of mycotoxins all available data regarding the evaluated compound in the scientific literature are taken into account. These data include reports on the human and animal intoxication, studies on experimental animals as well as on the cell cultures. For the evaluation of human exposure CONTAM Panel relies on data on occurrence of contaminants submitted by Member States upon the calls for data. Risk assessment for animals is based on less reliable feed consumption data and therefore contains more uncertainties.

aflatoxin B1; deoxynivalenol; citrinin; zaearalenon

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