Survey of Retail Cereal Products For Trichothecenes and Zearalenone (Number 35/03)

• Trichothecenes and zearalenone are naturally occurring toxins produced by moulds, which may grow on cereals.
• A total of 377 samples of a wide range of retail cereal products were obtained from two surveys of retail outlets. Trichothecenes were quantified in 298 of these and zearalenone in 53. In the vast majority of samples the levels of mycotoxins found were low. The highest levels of trichothecenes and of zearalenone were found in breakfast cereals and cereal-based snacks in the first survey only, which reflects the dependence of these contaminants on seasonal climatic conditions.
• In humans, consumption of foodstuffs contaminated with high levels of trichothecenes has been associated with alimentary toxic aleukia, an often fatal disease. Zearalenone can act as an oestrogenic mycotoxin and the European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) has set a Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) based on this effect.
• Data from this survey show that exposure levels to deoxynivalenol and nivalenol (two trichothecenes) are below their Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) and temporary TDI respectively, as determined by the SCF. For zearalenone the data from this survey were combined with data from an earlier survey of milk and total exposure levels are below the temporary TDI determined by the SCF. Therefore this survey does not indicate any appreciable risk to public health. Consumers do not need to change their diet as a result of the findings of these surveys.
• The Food Standards Agency would like to see levels of these contaminants reduced further by the use of good agricultural practices. Officials have met with industry and other stakeholder groups to discuss the results and to consider measures to reduce the underlying incidence of mycotoxin contamination. The Agency will continue to monitor for mycotoxins in these and other foodstuffs.