Mycotoxins in crops and food and feed safety

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by some fungi that can contaminate cereals and other crops. If not properly controlled, mycotoxins can pose serious risks to animal health through contaminated feed and to human health through the food chain.

The main types of mycotoxins that affect UK crops are:

• fusarium toxins in the field
• ochratoxin A in stored grain
• aflatoxins

There are legal limits on the levels of mycotoxins permitted in cereals and cereal products.

Legal limits you must meet

Different mycotoxins have specific maximum levels. For example, deoxynivalenol cannot exceed 1 mg/kg in cereals and cereal products, or 1.75 mg/kg in unprocessed maize. Zearalenone is limited to 0.35 mg/kg in cereals, ochratoxin A to 0.02 mg/kg in wheat, and aflatoxins to 2-4 µg/kg depending on the product.

Why this matters to your business

High mycotoxin levels cause real problems. Livestock suffer reduced feed intake, fertility issues and liver damage - particularly pigs and dairy cows. You risk rejected grain deliveries, disposal costs and limits on blending contaminated batches. Legally, breaching these limits can trigger prosecutions under the Food Safety (NI) Order 1991, plus import controls if sourcing from high-risk countries.

Practical steps to reduce the risks of mycotoxins

You can reduce the risk of mycotoxins through good agricultural practice. This involves carrying out a risk assessment for your crops and storage, and taking appropriate action to manage the risk. For example, you could:

• dry crops thoroughly before storage
• avoid intense rotation of fungi host crops
• reduce previous crop residue
• choose resistant crop varieties
• consider using fungicide

In storage, clean your facilities thoroughly, aerate the grain regularly and monitor for hotspots weekly. For more information, read the Food Standards Agency's guide on mycotoxins or download their code of practice for reducing mycotoxins in cereal (PDF, 423KB).