13 novembre 2007

New limits for Fusarium toxins in foodstuff

With Regulation 1881/2006 of 19 Dicember 2006, European Community established maximum limits for Fusarium toxins in foodstuff. Limits were supposed to become effective, subject new indications, on the 1st of July 2007 for deoxynivalenol and zearalenone, and on the 1st of October 2007 for fumonisins.

Successively, European Commission collected data on the hazard of Fusarium toxins and following them, a new Regulation has been issued: n. 1126/2007 of 28 September 2007; this Regulation amends the previous one and establishes new limits for the above mentioned toxins in maize and its derivates.

In particular, for all the 3 toxins, new limits have been added for milling fractions of maize not used for direct human consumption:
1.- “Milling fractions of maize with particle size > 500 micron falling within CN code 1103 13 or 1103 20 40 and other maize milling products with particle size > 500 micron not used for direct human consumption falling within CN code 1904 10 10”.
2.- “Milling fractions of maize with particle size ≤ 500 micron falling within CN code 1102 20 and other maize milling products with particle size ≤ 500 micron not used for direct human consumption falling within CN code 1904 10 10”.

Maximum levels allowed for zearalenone and fumonisins in raw corn have raised from 200 to 350 and from 2000 to 4000 ppb respectively, while deoxynivalenol ones are unchanged (1750ppb).

Maize intended for direct human consumption, maize-based snacks and maize-based breakfast cereals have a new limit for zearalenone: 100 ppb. Previously the limit was 50 ppb.

What we can highlight is a general increasing of the limits allowed, such as the limit for fumonisins in maize intended for direct human consumption and maize-based foods for direct human consumption (from 400 to 1000). Furthermore some new limits have been added, i.e. 800 ppb for maize-based breakfast cereals and maize-based snacks.

New limits have to be applied in a retroactive way from 1 July 2007.
To look over the full Regulation click below.

Reg. 1126/2007 (48 kB)