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Introduction The aim of socio-economic research in the MoniQA Network of Excellence is to develop a toolbox to support impact assessment of proposed food safety regulatory changes. Objectives The scope of this contribution is to present an initial version of such a toolbox with its application to a case study, which concerns a proposal on setting maximum levels of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in cereals and cereal products. A regulatory proposal of ‘strict’ maximum limits is compared with two alternative options: the ‘do nothing’ option and the ‘soft’ regulatory option. Methods The proposed toolbox involves a preliminary qualitative assessment of the likely impacts of each of the policy options considered, with a coding/scoring procedure, in order to identify the greatest impacts. A feasibility filter subsequently considers the availability of data necessary for impact quantification. The subsequent quantitative assessment is performed with different methodologies for the most important impacts. Finally, a multi-criteria analysis approach – which allows for a combination of qualitative and quantitative measurements – is used to arrive at a ranking of policy options. Results The outcome of this assessment exercise is that the ‘do nothing’ option is clearly the most preferable option, and, between the two regulatory options (options 2 and 3), the setting out of ‘strict’ maximum limits is preferable to ‘soft’ maximum limits. Conclusion This case study shows the potentialities of the toolbox as support to policy makers, which will be improved and tested with additional case studies in the remaining years of the MoniQA Network of Excellence.

Consumption of lipophilic marine toxin contaminated shellfish can lead to severe intoxications. Methods described in European Union (EU) legislation to test for the presence of these toxins are based on a mouse or rat bioassay. These assays are unethical and have a poor sensitivity and selectivity. For this reason there is an urgent need for alternative methods. Most promising alternatives are the methods based on liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A LC-MS/MS method with alkaline chromatographic conditions in which we were able to separate and analyze the most important toxins in a single analysis was developed. Furthermore, a clean up procedure based on solid phase extraction (SPE) was developed. A combination of SPE clean up and alkaline chromatographic conditions resulted in reduced matrix effects for all matrices tested (mussel, scallop and oyster). The developed SPE & LC-MS/MS method was in-house validated using EU Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. With respect to accuracy, repeatability, reproducibility and decision limit the method performed well. The method also performed excellently in view of possible new limits that are 4- to 5-fold lower than current limits for some toxins. A collaborative study was also performed for the most important toxins of the lipophilic marine toxin group.

A liquid chromatographic method for the determination of fumonisins B1 (FB1) and B2 (FB2) in corn-based foods for infants and young children was subjected to an interlaboratory validation study involving 11 laboratories. Five blind duplicate sample pairs of each matrix were analyzed to establish the accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility of the method. Mass fractions in the baby food samples ranged from 89.1 to 384.4 ?g/kg FB1 and from 22.5 to 73.6 ?g/kg FB2. The method involved a warm extraction with citrate phosphate buffer- methanol-acetonitrile (50 + 25 + 25, v/v/v), a cleanup through an immunoaffinity column, and an end-determination of fumonisins by LC after automated precolumn derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde reagent. RSDs for withinlaboratory repeatability (RSDr) ranged from 6.8 to 23.5% for FB1 and 7.6 to 22.9% for FB2. RSDs for between-laboratory reproducibility (RSDR) ranged from 15.4 to 26.2% for FB1 and 21.6 to 36.3% for FB2. Mean FB1 recoveries from baby foods spiked at 100.0 and 250.0 ?g/kg were 89 and 96%, respectively; for FB2 spiked foods at 25.0 and 62.5 ?g/kg recoveries were 90 and 85%, respectively. HorRat values ranged from 0.8 to 1.2 for FB1, whereas for FB2 they ranged from 0.9 to 1.4 when calculated according to Horwitz, and from 1.0 to 1.7 when calculated according to Thompson, indicating an acceptable amonglaboratory precision for all matrixes (HorRat values

Voedselconsumptiepeilingen (VCP) en onderzoek van duplicaatvoedingen zijn twee verschillende methoden om de inname van nutriënten en blootstelling aan chemische stoffen te kunnen schatten. Doel van dit onderzoek is het vergelijken van de resultaten van duplicaatvoedingenonderzoek en voedselconsumptiepeilingen die in dezelfde periode zijn uitgevoerd. Het betreft onderzoeken bij (jong) volwassenen en kinderen.

A large number of wild and cultured plants produce secondary metabolites that are toxic to humans and animals. Through accidental or intentional mixing of these plants with normal food and feed the consumers of these products will be exposed to the toxins. In this report tropane alkaloids will be discussed.

This review highlights developments in mycotoxin analysis and sampling over a period between mid-2007 and mid-2008. It covers the major mycotoxins aflatoxins, alternaria toxins, cyclopiazonic acid, fumonisins, ochratoxin, patulin, trichothecenes, and zearalenone. Some aspects of natural occurrence, particularly if linked to novel aspects of analytical methods, are also included. The review demonstrates the rise of LC-MS methods, the continuing interest in developing alternative and rapid methods and the modification of well-established mycotoxin analytical methods by individual laboratories to meet their own requirements.

Food chemical contaminants are chemicals that are not normally found in a particular food, their ingredients or the original raw material. Their presence is only acceptable when the levels that they occur at do not compromise public safety and are unavoidable after exercise of best practice. Mycotoxins, the toxic metabolites of certain filamentous fungi, are one group of contaminants and specific legislation, regulating permitted levels of contamination exists for a number of mycotoxin/food combinations. In many cases there is now considerable knowledge not only of the conditions conducive to their formation but also of the mechanisms that need to be in place to prevent or limit their occurrence. In a number of cases this knowledge has been converted into guidelines or other strategies, which both farmers and the food industry have adopted. Assessing levels of compliance and efficacy of these measures is achieved through appropriate audit/inspection and chemical-analytical regimes.

A key requirement of any food safety management system is the process of demonstrating its continuous effectiveness (verification). Increasingly, rapid test methods are being used by food businesses as a tool to assist them in this process. This includes management of hazards presented by mycotoxins. These compounds provide a significant challenge to both food processors and regulatory agencies, since they are usually present in the raw material on receipt and subsequent process steps have only limited efficiency in effecting their removal. Within the commercial environment it is critical for those purchasing raw materials to satisfy themselves that any delivery meets regulatory and specification requirements. Decisions to accept or reject deliveries usually need to be taken within short time periods (minutes rather than hours). This requires the use of rapid and - at the same time - reliable analytical methodology; furthermore, the methods need to be of minimal complexity. Within the European Union (EU), analytical methods to determine mycotoxin levels for regulatory purposes must fulfil to certain performance criteria. This principle also holds true for rapid test kits. Current activities within the EU-funded project MoniQA have identified a number of areas in relation to the use of rapid test kits which need to be addressed. These include the criteria which determine robustness of such kits, operator competence and the issues relating to the fate of the rejected lots. Given the diverse stakeholder (e.g. regulator, food business and consumer) interest in the data generated from rapid test kits, a harmonised rationale for their use and also the actions taken upon the results obtained, is desirable.