Further progress made on harmonising controls on mycotoxins in food

Wednesday 3 March 2004

Scottish stakeholders with an interest in European Working Group meetings have been informed that further progress has been made towards establishing harmonised EC controls on mycotoxins in food.

Mycotoxins in food are produced by fungal contaminants and are often genotoxic carcinogens.

Discussions on establishing harmonised controls continued at a meeting of the EC Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health on 12 February 2004 and a meeting of the EC Working Group on Agricultural Contaminants on 17 February.

The topics under discussion were:

• Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in foods for infants and young children
• Ochratoxin A in various foodstuffs
• Fusarium toxins
• Rapid Alert notifications related to mycotoxins

A more detailed overview of the discussions is contained in an interested parties letter at the link below.