European legislation

The section contains the European legislation in force for mycotoxins and plant toxins.

Regulations on maximum levels for mycotoxins and plants toxins in foodstaff

• Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs.
• Commission Regulation (EC) No 1126/2007 of 28 September 2007 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs as regards Fusarium toxins in maize and maize products.
• Commission Regulation (EC) No 629/2008 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs.
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 105/2010 of 5 February 2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs as regards ochratoxin A.
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 165/2010 of 26 February 2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs as regards aflatoxins.
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 420/2011 of 29 April 2011 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs.
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 594/2012 of 5 July 2012 amending Regulation (EC) 1881/2006 as regards the maximum levels of the contaminants ochratoxin A, non dioxin-like PCBs and melamine in foodstuffs.
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 1058/2012 of 12 November 2012 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels for aflatoxins in dried figs.
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 212/2014 of 6 March 2014 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of the contaminant citrinin in food supplements based on rice fermented with red yeast Monascus purpureus.
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 696/2014 of 24 June 2014 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of erucic acid in vegetable oils and fats and foods containing vegetable oils and fats.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1137 of 13 July 2015 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards the maximum level of Ochratoxin A in Capsicum spp. spices.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1940 of 28 October 2015 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of ergot sclerotia in certain unprocessed cereals and the provisions on monitoring and reporting.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/239 of 19 February 2016 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of tropane alkaloids in certain cereal-based foods for infants and young children.
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127 of 25 September 2015 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the specific compositional and information requirements for infant formula and follow-on formula and as regards requirements on information relating to infant and young child feeding.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1237 of 7 July 2017 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards a maximum level of hydrocyanic acid in unprocessed whole, ground, milled, cracked, chopped apricot kernels placed on the market for the final consumer.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1870 of 7 November 2019 amending and correcting Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of erucic acid and hydrocyanic acid in certain foodstuffs.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1901 of 7 November 2019 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of citrinin in food supplements based on rice fermented with red yeast Monascus purpureus.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/2040 of 11 December 2020 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in certain foodstuffs.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1399 of 24 August 2021 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of ergot sclerotia and ergot alkaloids in certain foodstuffs.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1408 of 27 August 2021 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels for tropane alkaloids in certain foodstuffs.  
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/2142 of 3 December 2021 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels for opium alkaloids in certain foodstuffs.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1364 of 4 August 2022 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels for hydrocyanic acid in certain foodstuffs.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1370 of 5 August 2022 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels for ochratoxin A in certain foodstuffs.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1393 of 11 August 2022 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels for delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) in hemp seed and hemp products.

Recommendations on monitoring mycotoxins and plant toxins in foodstuffs

• Commission Recommendation 2003/598/EC of 11 August 2003 on the prevention and reduction of patulin contamination in apple juice and apple juice ingredients in other beverages.
• Commission Recommendation 2006/583/EC on the prevention and reduction of Fusarium toxins in cereals and cereal products.
• 2012/154/EU: Commission Recommendation of 15 March 2012 on the monitoring of the presence of ergot alkaloids in feed and food.
• 2013/165/EU: Commission Recommendation of 27 March 2013 on the presence of T-2 and HT-2 toxin in cereals and cereal products.
• 2014/662/EU: Commission Recommendation of 10 September 2014 on good practices to prevent and to reduce the presence of opium alkaloids in poppy seeds and poppy seed products.
• Commission Recommendation (EU) 2015/976 of 19 June 2015 on the monitoring of the presence of tropane alkaloids in food.
• Commission Recommendation (EU) 2016/2115 of 1 December 2016 on the monitoring of the presence of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, its precursors and other cannabinoids in food.
• Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/553 of 5 April 2022 on monitoring the presence of Alternaria toxins in food.
• Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/561 of 6 April 2022 on monitoring the presence of glycoalkaloids in potatoes and potato-derived products.
• Commission Regulation (EC) No 401/2006 of 23 February 2006 laying down the methods of sampling and analysis for the official control of the levels of mycotoxins in foodstuffs.
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 178/2010 of 2 March 2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 401/2006 as regards groundnuts (peanuts), other oilseeds, tree nuts, apricot kernels, liquorice and vegetable oil.
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 519/2014 of 16 May 2014 amending Regulation (EC) No 401/2006 as regards methods of sampling of large lots, spices and food supplements, performance criteria for T-2, HT-2 toxin and citrinin and screening methods of analysis.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/705 of 30 April 2015 laying down methods of sampling and performance criteria for the methods of analysis for the official control of the levels of erucic acid in foodstuffs and repealing Commission Directive 80/891/EEC.
• Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products, amending Regulations (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC) No 1069/2009, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No 652/2014, (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 and (EC) No 1099/2009 and Council Directives 98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/EC and 2008/120/EC, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 89/608/EEC, 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC, 96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and Council Decision 92/438/EEC (Official Controls Regulation).
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2130 of 25 November 2019 establishing detailed rules on the operations to be carried out during and after documentary checks, identity checks and physical checks on animals and goods subject to official controls at border control posts.
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/931 of 23 March 2022 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council by laying down rules for the performance of official controls as regards contaminants in food.
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/932 of 9 June 2022 on uniform practical arrangements for the performance of official controls as regards contaminants in food, on specific additional content of multi-annual national control plans and specific additional arrangements for their preparation.