Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites that can naturally occur in food and feed. About 20 % of food products can be contaminated with mycotoxins and therefore the European legislation sets maximum limits for mycotoxin content in certain foodstuffs and animal feed to protect the consumers.

To ensure that results from food and feed monitoring fulfil the requirements of legislation, any method that is used for analysis of goods must meet established and accepted performance criteria. This is important in view of legal actions and trade specifications such as rejection of imports due to contamination, as well as monitoring and risk assessment studies. Both rapid screening methods and confirmatory methods are needed.

IRMM develops and validates new analytical methods for the analysis of mycotoxins. The work on mycotoxins is specifically designed to support current and future European legislation for mycotoxins, which are based on Regulation (EC) 1881/2006,  Directive 85/591/EEC and Regulation (EC) No 315/93. For example, in 2003 IRMM validated a method for determination of patulin in baby food at the new maximum level of 10 ng/g set in Regulation (EC) No 1425/2003.

Examples of methods validated by inter-laboratory comparisons:
  • method for the analysis of aflatoxins in various food matrices (peanuts, pistachios, figs, paprika)
  • methods for the analysis of aflatoxin B1 in baby food and animal feed
  • methods for the analysis of patulin in fruit juices and fruit purees
  • methods for the analysis of deoxynivalenol in baby food and animal feed
  • method for the analysis of zearalenone in baby food and animal feed
  • method for the determination of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in cereals, baby food and animal feed
The methods for the determination of aflatoxins in various food matrices have already become European standards, whereas methods for other relevant mycotoxins such as patulin, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone are in the process to be standardised. Some have in addition become standards of the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) International.

IRMM also participates:
  • in the work of two Technical Committees (TC 275 on food and TC 327 on animal feed) of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN)
  • in the BIOCOP project of the 6th Framework Programme


Community Reference Laboratory for Mycotoxins

The JRC was nominated as the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) for Mycotoxins in 2006.

About CRLs
About CRL for Mycotoxins



International standards, drafted by JRC-IRMM-FSQ

EN 15850:2010, regarding determination of zearalenone in infant food

EN 15851:2010, regarding determination of aflatoxin in infant food

EN 15791:2009, regarding determination of deoxynivalenol in animal feed

EN 15792:2009, regarding determination of zearalenone in animal feed


Read more

Senyuva H.Z, Gilbert J. and Stroka J.: “Determination of Fumonisins B1 and B2 in Corn by LC/MS with Immunoaffinity Column Cleanup: Interlaboratory Study”, J. of AOAC International Vol. 93, No. 2, 2010, pp 611-621

Evaluation of the effect of Mycotoxin binders in animal feed on the analytical performance of standardised methods for the determination of mycotoxins in feed (2009)  (icon 3440KB )

Bowens, P., Lancova K., Dip, R., Povilaityte, V., Stroka, J. and Naegeli, H: A new PCR-based bioassay strategy for the detection of type A trichothecenes in food” Analyst, 2009, 134, 939–944

Lancova, K., Bowens, P., Stroka, J., Gmuender, H., Ellinger, T., Naegeli, H: "Transcriptomic-based bioassays for the detection of type A trichothecenes", World Mycotoxin Journal, Volume 2 (2), 247-257

Arranz Hernandez, I., Mischke, C., Stroka, J., Sizoo, E., Van Egmond, H., Neugebauer, M., Liquid chromatographic method for the quantification of zearalenone in baby food and animal feed: interlaboratory study, Journal of AOAC International, Vol.90, No.6 (2007), pages 1598-1609, AOAC International (Publ.), Gaithersburg, JRC43443

Stroka, J., Strosnider, H., Azziz-Baumgartner, E., Banziger, M., Bhat, R., Breimann, R., Brune, M., Decock, K., Dilley, A., Groopman, J., Hell, K., Henry, S., Jeffers, D., Jolly, C., Jolly, P., Kibata, G., Lewis, L., Liu, X., Luber, G., McCoy, L., Mensah, P., Miraglia, M., Misore, A., Njapau, H., Ong, C., Onsongo, M., Page, S., Park, D., Patel, M., Phillips, T., Pineiro, M., Pronczuk, J., Rogers, H., Rubin, C., Sabino, M., Schaafsma, A., Shephard, G., Wild, C., Williams, J., Wilson, D., Workgroup report: public health strategies for reducing aflatoxin exposure in developing countries, Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol.114, No.12 (2006), pages 1898-1903, US Dept Health Human Services Public Health Service (Publ.), Res Triangle (United States of America), PB/2006/IRMM/3531

Arranz Hernandez, I., Stroka, J., Neugebauer, L., Determination of aflatoxin B1 in tiger nut-based soft drinks, food additives and contaminants, Vol.23, No.3 (2006), pages 305-308, Taylor & Francis Ltd (Publ.), PB/2006/IRMM/1748

Arranz Hernandez, I., Derbyshire, M., Kroeger, K., Mischke, C., Stroka, J., Anklam, E.,  Liquid chromatographic method for quantification of patulin at 10 ng/ml in apple-based products intended for infants. interlaboratory study, Journal Of AOAC International, Vol.88 (2005), pages 518-525, AOAC International (Publ.), PB/2005/IRMM/1697

Stroka, J., Derbyshire, M., Mischke, C., Ambrosio, M., Kroeger, K., Arranz, I., Sizoo, E., van Egmond, H., Liquid chromatographic determination of deoxynivalenol in baby food and animal feed: interlaboratory study, J Assoc Off Anal Chem Int, 89, 1012 (2006)

Arranz, I., Sizoo, E., van Egmond, H., Kroeger, K., Legarda, T. M., Burdaspal, P., Reif, K., Stroka, J., Determination of aflatoxin B1 in medical herbs: interlaboratory study, J Assoc Off Anal Chem Int, 89, 595 (2006)

Stroka, J., Spanjer, M., Buechler, S., Barel, S., Kos, G., Anklam, E., Novel sampling methods for the analysis of mycotoxins and the combination with spectroscopic methods for the rapid evaluation of deoxynivalenol contamination, Toxicology Letters 153 (2004) 99-107




Last Update 10/06/2010