Aflatoxin regulations

Pea.nuts, The proteins of peanuts are low in lysine, threonine, cystine plus methionine, and tryptophan when compared to the amino acid requirements for children but meet the requirements for adults (see Table 3). Peanut flour can be used to increase the nutritive value of cereals such as cornmeal but further improvement is noted by the addition of lysine (71). The trypsin inhibitor content of raw peanuts is about one-fifth that of raw soybeans, but this concentration is sufficient to cause hypertrophy (enlargement) of the pancreas in rats. The inhibitors of peanuts are largely inactivated by moist heat treatment (48). As for cottonseed, peanuts are prone to contamination by aflatoxin. FDA regulations limit aflatoxin levels of peanuts and meals to 100 ppb for breeding beef catde, breeding swine, or poultry 200 ppb for finishing swine 300 ppb for finishing beef catde 20 ppb for immature animals and dairy animals and 20 ppb for humans. 

EC (European Commission) (2003), Commission regulation (EC) No 2174/2003 of 12 December 2003 amending regulation (EC) No 466/2001 as regards aflatoxins , Official J. Europ. Union, L326, 12-15. 

Where specific Regulations are in force then the methods associated with the Regulations shall be accredited if the control laboratory wishes to offer enforcement of the Regulations to customers. Examples of these are methods of analysis for aflatoxins and methods of analysis for specific and overall migration for food contact materials. 

Park, D.L. et al.. Review of the decontamination of aflatoxins by ammoniation current status and regulation, /. Assoc. Anal. Chem. 71, 685, 1988. 

Here we come to the heart of the problem we shall explore in this book just how certain is our science on matters such as this And how should public health officials deal with the uncertainties We shall be exploring the two responses to the FDA s position that were set out earlier and learn what we can about their relative scientific merits not specifically in connection with the aflatoxin problem, but in a more general sense. We shall also be illustrating how regulators react to these various scientific responses, and others as well, using some examples where the economic stakes are very high. One would like to believe that the size of the economic stakes would not influence scientific thinking, but it surely influences scientists and policy-makers when they deal with scientific uncertainties. 

Jayashree, T., Praveen-Rao, J., and Subramanyam, C. (2000). Regulation of aflatoxin production by Ca2- -/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 83, 215-219. 

Three generic approaches for all aflatoxin-susceptible crops could be used to exclude toxigenic fimgi from their environmental niches and to regulate aflatoxin biosynthesis ... 

Fig. 3 Typical chromatogram of aflatoxins B (0.2 ng), B2 (0.04 ng), G (0.2 ng), and G2 (0.04 ng) standard. Mobile phase water methanol acetonitrile 54 29 17. Pump A regulated at 1 ml/min pumpB (postcolumn derivatization with bromine) regulated at 0.4 ml/min.

Council Regulation 315/93 lays down Community procedures for establishing maximum limits for contaminants (other than pesticide and veterinary drug residues) in food. The Scientific Committee for Food must be consulted on all questions which may have an effect on public health and this committee carries out the toxicological evaluations which underpin the limits set for contaminants. The scientific data which form the basis of the evaluations are obtained mainly from the scientific literature and from the Member States. Data on human exposure to contaminants, such as nitrates, cadmium, aflatoxins and ochratoxin A, have been collected and collated in projects in the programme on scientific co-operation between the Member States (known as SCOOP). 

Aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin, nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins and zearalenone have been evaluated by the Scientific Committee for Food. The question of maximum levels for some of these mycotoxins in foodstuffs has been discussed for several years in the Committee of Experts - Working Party on Agricultural Contaminants under DG VI (now under DG SANCO). Proposals from this committee are then considered by the Standing Committee on Foodstuffs, prior to adoption by the Commission as Commission Regulations. 

Maximum levels for aflatoxin MI in milk and for aflatoxin B1 and the sum of aflatoxins Bl, B2, G1 and G2 in groundnuts and certain other foods were laid down in Commission Regulation 1525/98 (which amended Regulation 194/97) and came into force on 1 January 1999. The Commission is expected to adopt maximum levels for aflatoxins in spices in the near future. 

Other countries have similar regulations. Limits have also been set on aflatoxin contamination, because of its connection with liver cancer. The FDA guidelines in the USA allow no more than 20 pg/kg aflatoxin in animal feeds. The EU regulation (SI No 283,1998) sets limits between 5 and 50 pg/kg (ppb) for aflatoxin B1 in animal feedstuffs, depending on the feed ingredient and the animal for which the feedstuff is intended. The limit for a complete feedstuff for poultry and pigs was set at 20 pg/kg (ppb). 

Cary JW, Bhatnagar D, Linz JE Aflatoxin Biological significance and regulation of biosynthesis in Cary JW, Linz JE, Bhatnagar D (eds) Microbial Foodbome Diseases. Mechanism of pathogenesis and toxin synthesis. Lancaster, Technomic Publishing, 2000, pp 317-361. 

Bhatnagar, D., Cary, J.W., Ehrlich, K. et al. (2006). Understanding the genetics of regulation of aflatoxin production and Aspergillus fiavus development. Mycopathologia 162 155-66. 

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