Mycotoxins in cereals

The French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) is responsible for risk assessment, and in its opinions it assesses the level of risk to consumers, and makes recommendations to risk managers (supervisory ministries).

In 1998, the Conseil supérieur d'hygiène publique de France (CSHPF) published a report on mycotoxins, taking stock of what was known about some of them. While the toxicological properties of some of these mycotoxins were becoming well known at the time, the toxicological impact of others was still poorly identified. What's more, some of them, such as trichothecenes, had not been dealt with in this report.

For these reasons in particular, the AFSSA, which has since been created, has taken on the task of assessing the risks associated with the presence of mycotoxins in the human and animal food chain. A working group (whose names are listed at the end of the dossier, for purposes of personal acknowledgement) has been charged with this task, focusing on mycotoxins with an impact on human and/or animal health. Based on recent bibliographical data and the latest assessments carried out by various international bodies, a report presented, for each mycotoxin, the factors favoring :

• their development ;

• toxicological properties;

• analysis methods ;

• their effects on human and animal health;

• transfer to animal products ;

• available data on contamination of human and animal foodstuffs;

• human exposure through plant, animal and finished products.

This article is based on data taken from the above-mentioned AFSSA report, and therefore focuses on the assessment of risks linked to the presence of mycotoxins in cereals intended for human consumption. Another article, this time dealing with risk management and, more specifically, regulations, control plans and preventive measures covering agricultural practices in particular, will be published at a later date by Messrs Grosjean and Gourdain