The overarching principle for regulating contaminants in food and feed in the European Union (EU) is that edibles placed on the market shall be safe. To keep e.g. mycotoxin levels as low as reasonably achievable, the EU food and feed legislation is based on risk analysis, consisting of risk assessment, risk management and risk communication.

Risk assessment is be based on available scientific evidence and undertaken in an independent, objective and transparent manner, typically by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Risk management, performed by the European Commission (EC), takes into account the results of risk assessment, other legitimate factors (e.g. cost-benefit considerations, health risk-benefit considerations or analytical achievability) and additional precaution where appropriate.

EFSA updated its risk assessment on deoxynivalenol (DON) and also included its acetylated and glucosylated derivatives (DOI:10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4718). As such, a group tolerable daily intake value of 1 µg/kg bodyweight per day has been set for the sum of DON, DON-3-glucoside, 3-Acetyl-DON and 15-Acetyl-DON.

As a result, the former guidance level for DON in dog feed was lowered from 5 mg/kg to 2 mg/kg several years ago (EC Recommendation 2016/1319). Last year, EC regulation 2023/915 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food entered into force. Currently, DON is the sole regulated trichothecene in food with maximum levels reaching from 200-1750 µg/kg depending on the commodity and the intended use. For modified forms of Fusarium mycotoxins, including DON, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, zearalenone and fumonisins a regulatory follow-up is expected, once analytical aspects are properly addressed.

Since the start of 2024, a total of 542 notifications regarding mycotoxins have been reported in the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). The vast majority of those were regarding aflatoxins (456) or ochratoxin A (68) and only two cases exceeded the maximum level of DON in food or the guidance level for the sum of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in feed, respectively. The natural occurrence of NX-toxins in Europe appears to be very low at the moment.