Analysis of EU RASFF Data Finds Aflatoxins, Imported Foods Lead Mycotoxin-Related Notifications
Need to Know
- Researchers analyzed 2,479 mycotoxin-related food and feed notifications reported through the iRASFF platform from 2020–2024 and used annual RASFF reports to contextualize notification trends dating back to 2012
- Aflatoxins and ochratoxins accounted for 84 percent and 15 percent of notifications, respectively
- Nuts, nut products, and seeds represented 54 percent of all mycotoxin notifications, followed by fruits and vegetables (23 percent) and cereals and bakery products (10 percent)
- Products originating outside the EU accounted for 90 percent of mycotoxin-related notifications, led by Türkiye (24 percent) and the U.S. (14 percent)
- Although annual RASFF mycotoxin notifications reached a high of 663 in 2024, statistical analysis of data from 2012–2024 did not identify a significant long-term increasing trend.
An analysis of EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) data has shown that mycotoxins remain a persistent food safety concern. Aflatoxins accounted for the vast majority of notifications, and products originating outside the EU were implicated in more than 90 percent of mycotoxin-related notifications.
Published in Toxins, researchers from the University of Córdoba and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) analyzed 2,479 mycotoxin-related food and feed notifications reported through the iRASFF platform between January 2020 and December 2024. The researchers examined trends by mycotoxin, product category, country of origin, notifying country, risk decision, and notification type. The researchers also used annual RASFF reports to contextualize notification trends dating back to 2012.
Aflatoxins, Ochratoxins Led Mycotoxin Notifications
Of the 2,479 notifications recorded from 2020–2024, aflatoxins accounted for 2,076 (84 percent). Ochratoxins were the second-most frequently reported mycotoxins, accounting for 361 notifications (15 percent).
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) alone was involved in 1,848 notifications. Nuts, nut products, and seeds accounted for 64 percent of aflatoxin notifications.
Overall, nuts, nut products, and seeds represented 54 percent of all mycotoxin notifications, followed by fruits and vegetables at 23 percent and cereals and bakery products at 10 percent.
For ochratoxin A (OTA), fruits and vegetables accounted for 52 percent of notifications.
OTA notifications increased from 44 cases in 2020 to 117 in 2024. However, the researchers cautioned that this increase could reflect changes in notification frequency and/or improvements in detection capacity, potentially alongside the influence of climate change on fungi proliferation.
Looking for quick answers on food safety topics?
Try Ask FSM, our new smart AI search tool.
Ask FSM →
Other mycotoxins were reported infrequently, including fumonisins (26 notifications), patulin (16), deoxynivalenol (13), T-2 toxin (seven), and zearalenone (three). There were also 27 notifications involving Claviceps purpurea, which is associated with ergot alkaloids.
Many Notifications Involved Products from Türkiye, U.S.
Products originating outside the EU accounted for 90 percent of mycotoxin-related notifications. Globally, Türkiye and the U.S. were the most frequently reported countries of origin, representing 24 percent and 14 percent of notifications, respectively.
Among the 2,242 notifications involving non-EU products, Türkiye accounted for 585 notifications, followed by the U.S. with 353, India with 180, Egypt with 171, Iran with 155, Argentina with 146, and Pakistan with 127.
The mycotoxin profiles of EU and non-EU products also differed. Aflatoxins accounted for nearly 88 percent of notifications involving products originating outside the EU, while EU-origin products had a more varied profile. Among EU products, aflatoxins represented approximately 43 percent of notifications, followed by OTA at 31 percent and ergot alkaloids at 11 percent.
The researchers cautioned against interpreting notification counts as direct measures of contamination prevalence or population exposure. RASFF data represent detected and reported regulatory non-compliances and can be affected by trade volumes, sampling intensity, border-control activity, and national surveillance strategies.
Majority of Notifications Classified as ‘Serious’ Risk
Border rejections accounted for 68 percent of mycotoxin-related notifications, followed by alerts at 16 percent, information notifications for attention at 13 percent, and information notifications for follow-up at 2 percent.
Additionally, 92 percent of 2020–2024 notifications were classified as posing a “serious” risk, and every year analyzed, more than 85 percent of notifications were classified as such.
Food intended for human consumption comprised 2,385 of the 2,479 notifications, compared with 94 notifications for animal feed. The researchers emphasized that the comparatively small number of feed notifications should not be interpreted as evidence of negligible risk, noting the potential for certain mycotoxins or their metabolites to enter the human food chain through carry-over processes.
No Significant Long-Term Increase in Mycotoxin Notifications
Although annual RASFF mycotoxin notifications reached a high of 663 in 2024, statistical analysis of data from 2012–2024 did not identify a significant long-term increasing trend.
Meanwhile, total RASFF notifications increased from 3,516 in 2012 to 5,364 in 2024. As a result, mycotoxins declined as a proportion of all RASFF notifications, from approximately 15–16 percent during 2015–2018 to 9–12 percent in 2023–2024.
The researchers concluded that continued border surveillance, international cooperation, and risk-based monitoring are important for limiting dietary exposure to mycotoxins, especially in globally traded commodities. They also called for surveillance and control strategies to adapt to evolving scientific evidence, climate change, and international trade patterns.
