Mycotoxin contamination management

Surveys of mycotoxin contamination levels in organic and conventional crops often give conflicting results and will therefore not be described in detail here. They often poorly describe the management history of samples included in the survey and may therefore be misleading with respect to the causes of differential mycotoxin loads. Also, the contribution made by primary production practices/factors and storage conditions to overall mycotoxin loads were unclear for most of these studies. 

The economic implications of the mycotoxin problem and its potential health threat to humans have clearly created a need to eliminate or at least minimize mycotoxin contamination of food and feed. While an association between mycotoxin contamination and inadequate storage conditions has long been recognized, studies have revealed that seeds are contaminated with mycotoxins prior to harvest [185]. Therefore, management of mycotoxin contamination in commodities must include both pre- and postharvest control measures. 

EFSA collects and evaluates occurrence data on mycotoxins in food and feed. It provides scientific advice and risk assessments on mycotoxins for EU risk managers to help them assess the need for regulatory measures as regards to the safety of myco-toxin-contaminated food and feed. Further information can be found on the EFSA homepages http //www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/mycotoxins.htm. 

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