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A CAFIA representative, RNDr. Jindřich Smička, has come back from Vienna where he participated in a meeting of the FLEP Working Party (a non-governmental organisation associating representatives of the European inspection bodies that enforce the food legislation in practice). This particular Working Party handles the assessment and harmonisation of legislation in the individual European countries, concerning the control of the occurrence of mycotoxins in food.

The natural toxins are products of some moulds contaminating food of plant origin, e.g., fruit, vegetables, cereals or different types of nuts. Mycotoxins, of which the best known is aflatoxin B1, are carcinogenic and can potentially put human health at risk. If mycotoxins have been once produced in food, it is impossible to get rid of them or destroy them. Hence it is necessary to avoid consistently foods contaminated with moulds.

Most European countries pay great attention to the control of mycotoxins. There are, however, considerable differences in the methodology of control and also risk assessment. The goal of the FLEP Working Party is to unify the procedures and determine the individual limits.

The Czech Republic ranks among the countries with the most severe standards concerning the determination of the maximum residue limit for the values of mycotoxins in food. The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority have been continuously monitoring the occurrence of mycotoxins in food. The last MRL exceeding values of aflatoxin B1 were detected in pistachio nuts and peanuts in September and October last year. Those were immediately withdrawn from the market and destroyed.

CAFIA became a FLEP member at a meeting in Prague that was held in 2000.