Regulation of mycotoxins in Europe

Legal limits for the total amount of aflatoxins are 4 and 2 qg/kg for aflatoxin B1 in cereals. 

The legal limits for ochratoxin A in cereals in the EU are 5 gg/kg for raw grain and 3 gg/kg for processed grain (which inclndes malt). The EU Commission Regulation No. 105/2010 (European Commission, 2010) did not set a separate maximum level in beer, since it indicated that the presence of OTA is already controlled in malt. 

Maximum limits for Fusarium toxins DON and ZEA in cereals have been operated in the EU. For DON these are 1250gg/kg in raw cereals and 750gg/kg for processed cereals (which includes malt) for ZEA these are 100 and 75 gg/kg, respectively. Legislative limits have not been set for nivalenol (NTV) as it is considered to be a cocontaminant of DON and as such can be controlled by controlling DON. 

The maximum levels for fumonisins (sum of Bi and B2) are set for maize and maize products and vary from 200 to 2000 gg/kg. 

The maximum levels for T-2 and HT-2 are still under consideration. An indicative level for the sum of T2 and HT-2 was set in 2013 (Commission Recommendation 2013/165/ EU, European Commission, 2013). It is 200 gg/kg for barley (including malting barley) and 50 gg/kg for processed cereals. According to this recommendation, member states should also collect more data on the occurrence of T-2 and HT-2 in cereal and cereal products. Furthermore, more information is needed on year-to-year variation, the effects of food processing and agronomic factors on the presence of these toxins. It is also encouraged that samples be simultaneously analysed for the presence of T-2 and HT-2 and other Fusarium toxins, since they often co-occur in the samples. 

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