WHO calls for mycotoxin data in some peanuts, cereals and spices

The World Health Organization (WHO) wants data on certain mycotoxins in different food products.

The first call for information covers aflatoxin in cereals and cereal-based products. This includes maize grain; flour, meal, semolina and flakes derived from maize; husked and polished rice and sorghum grain destined for further processing.

Data is also wanted on total aflatoxins in cereal-based foods for infants and young children.

A session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods agreed to establish an electronic working group led by Brazil to establish maximum levels (MLs) for aflatoxin for these items that will be debated at the next committee meeting in 2022.

Information submitted should cover the past 10 years and must be done through the Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS) database. Data that has already been sent into the GEMS Food Database does not need to be re-submitted.

You can read the complete report here.