Guidance on reducing mycotoxins

A new guide for cereal farmers on reducing mycotoxins aims to reduce the presence of the toxin in the food supply chain.

The guide advises UK farmers
on how to reduce the levels of the potentially harmful toxin by making changes
to their cultivation and storage practices.
Last year, the EU's food safety agency set a weekly intake limit for
the mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) and other forms of the toxin. The European
Commission has since released new legal limits across the bloc.

 Mycotoxins can get
into the human food supply as a result of the growth of specific fungi on food
crops, either in the field or in storage. The toxin is produced as a byproduct
of the fungi.
The OTA mycotoxin is found in cereals, cereal products, cocoa products, nuts,
spices and coffee.