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Mycotoxins

Introduction

This new area on HGCA's website provides easy access to levy-funded reference material and tools to help growers and store keepers minimise risk of mycotoxin formation in the field and store. The site will be updated as new tools and publications become available.

Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins are toxic chemicals produced by specific fungi which infect crops. Different fungal species produce mycotoxins of widely varying toxicity to humans and animals; hence there are different permitted levels in foodstuffs and feed. Grain is susceptible to mycotoxins produced either whilst the crop is growing by Fusarium species or during storage by Penicillium species.

Field mycotoxins

In the field, infection of ears by Fusarium species can result in mycotoxin development when the weather is warm and wet at flowering. Fusarium mycotoxin occurrence may be greater when wet weather delays harvest. Crops infected at flowering may have individual bleached spikelets, or partially bleached ears, resulting at harvest in pink or chalky-white shrivelled grains. However, there is little correlation between fusarium damaged grains and mycotoxin occurrence.

TS104 Managing fusarium mycotoxin risk in wheat - changes for harvest 2009
G34   Guidelines to minimise risk of fusarium mycotoxins in cereals
WW  Winter wheat Recommended Lists Table (See page 2)
for fusarium resistance scores in the RL varieties.

Fusarium mycotoxin risk assessment sheet

Fusarium mycotoxins incidence and levels update 2009  

Storage mycotoxins

In the store, ochratoxin A (OTA) may be produced by the storage mould Penicillium verrucosum if grain exceeds 18% moisture content. The greatest risk occurs during harvest backlogs and during ambient air drying when grain may take weeks to dry. OTA incidence can be unpredictable. In the UK only some strains of Penicillium verrucosum produce OTA. Even when present, those strains do not always produce toxins.

Link Drying section of HGCA Grain Storage Page
TS78 Drying and cooling grain

Safe storage time calculator

Useful links to other websites

Food Standards Agency
 www.food.gov.uk

The UK Code of Good Agricultural Practice to Reduce Fusarium Mycotoxins in Cereals (2007) FSA
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/fusariumcop.pdf

The UK Code of Good Storage Practice to Reduce Ochratoxin A in Cereals (2007) FSA
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/ochratoxinacop.pdf

European Commission Regulations
http://eur-lex.europa.eu

KnowMycotoxins Website
This website aims to improve understanding of mycotoxins from the perspective of the feed industry. A link is provided here as the website may contain additional helpful information but HGCA has not contributed to development of this website and the presence of this link does not imply HGCA endorsement.
http://www.knowmycotoxins.com

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