Managing mycotoxin risk
The Agency has developed two codes of practice to reduce fusarium and ochratoxin A mycotoxins in cereals. Mycotoxins are poisonous compounds that may, under some conditions, be produced by certain species of fungi. The Agency has also published a guide to the codes of practice for cereal farmers.
The European Union has produced a set of general principles to minimise the amount of mycotoxins in cereals and asked Governments in EU Member States to develop national codes of practice.
The Food Standards Agency, in consultation with DEFRA, commissioned Harper Adams University College to develop UK-specific codes of practice to reduce mycotoxin contamination in cereals.
Further information
If you require further information regarding the codes of practice or the above advice, please contact:
Jonathan Briggs
Food Protection Division
Food Standards Agency
Tel: 020 7276 8716
Related links
External links The Food Standards Agency has no responsibility for the content of external websites
Find out more
Letter from FSA on risk of fusarium fungi in 2008 wheat crop
Following a summer of weather conditions favourable to the development of the fusarium toxin deoxynivalenol in wheat in the UK, the Food Standards Agency has circulated a letter to industry to highlight the obligations placed on food businesses and provide advice on possible approaches available when dealing with wheat that may not comply with European (EC) legislation.
Mycotoxin update from National Association of British and Irish Millers
Industry associations, such as NABIM and the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), carry out their own mycotoxin testing on wheat after each new harvest. This information provides industry with an accurate, up to date reflection of current mycotoxin levels that is used to inform their position. NABIM’s latest update is available.
The 2009 UK wheat crop has seen a reduction in high levels of DON compared with harvests from the previous two years
The Agency is aware of the work undertaken by the cereal supply and processing sectors of industry to determine the levels of DON in UK grown wheat in 2009 and has recently held discussions with these sectors, who have provided data on monitoring for occurrence of DON in wheat from the 2009 harvest.