Mycotoxins in Britain's rice 'low or non-detectable'

A British survey testing mycotoxins in retail rice has found levels in all the samples tested to be below current or proposed EC limits.

Mycotoxins are naturally occurring chemicals produced by moulds growing on foodstuffs, including rice. A number of mycotoxins are genotoxic carcinogens, which means they can cause cancer by damaging genetic material.

Expert committees have therefore recommended that exposure to genotoxic mycotoxins should be reduced to levels as low as technologically achievable.

Britain's Food Standards Agency analysed samples for aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, sterigmatocystin and Fusarium toxins (fumonisins, trichothecenes and zearalenone). Aflatoxins and deoxynivalenol, a trichothecene, were detected at low levels, however, none of the samples contained detectable levels of any other toxins.

In the survey, published this week, one hundred samples, comprising long grain rice, easy cook rice, basmati rice, speciality rice, brown rice, short grain rice, flaked and ground rice, were collected from retail outlets in three areas of England.

The number of samples of each type of rice was calculated on a market share basis. No samples had levels of mycotoxins present above current or proposed EC limits. Ochratoxin A, sterigmatocystin, fumonisin B1, B2 and B3 and zearalenone were not detected in any of the samples.

Aflatoxins were quantified in 17 of the rice samples analysed at levels ranging from 0.2 to 1.8 micrograms/kg total aflatoxins.

The highest levels of aflatoxin were found in basmati and brown rice. All levels found were below the EC legislative limits of 2 micrograms/kg aflatoxin B1 and 4 micrograms/kg total aflatoxins in cereal products for direct human consumption.

A low level of deoxynivalenol (12 micrograms/kg) was detected in one sample of rice, however, no other trichothecenes were detected in any of the samples. This is well below the proposed EC action limit of 500 micrograms/kg.

The FSA concluded that there was no need for consumers to alter dietary habits as a result of the survey findings. The Agency said it would continue to monitor the situation.