New regulations have just entered into force regarding the maximum levels of mycotoxins in cereal grains. Earlier, we confirmed with the Ministry of Agriculture that they only apply to food grain, not feed grain. Now we have data that has bothered our readers, stating that the new regulations also apply to imported grain from third countries, including Ukraine. We also have clear information that these regulations have not been postponed by a year, as requested by MEPs from France, where the weather this year is very rainy and affects the quality of grain. We wrote about it in the text below.
read more
Rainy weather and mycotoxins
Farmer.pl was the first to write in June that the regulations were to be in force from July 1, but they passed unnoticed in the EU. They concern, among others: tightening the limits on lowering the maximum levels of DON toxin in unprocessed cereals from 1,250 to 1,000 micrograms per kilogram and in maize from 1,750 to 1,500 μg/kg. These changes are particularly important in the context of the weather during harvest, when it is too humid, which the farmer has no control over, no matter what country he farms in. – Neither Poland nor any other country where cereal crops are grown is free from these risk factors. The presence and level of mycotoxins in cereal grain will determine its suitability for consumption or feed purposes. Fungal infections of plants during flowering, which are a source of mycotoxins, are mainly random. The above already determines the price of grain today, the Ministry of Agriculture told us.
read more
The reduction in maximum mycotoxin levels does not apply to feed grain
However, we were concerned about the products imported to the EU. Do these new regulations also apply to them?
– The introduced regulations apply throughout the European Union. In practice, this means that both grain exported from Poland to other EU countries and grain imported to Poland from both EU countries and third countries must meet the requirements of Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/1022 amending Regulation (EU) 2023/915 with regard to the maximum levels of deoxynivalenol in food and Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/1038 amending Regulation (EU) 2023/915 with regard to the maximum levels of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in food – the Ministry of Agriculture told us .
Mycotoxins in grain
Who will control these new norms? We also got information here.
– The State Sanitary Inspection authorities control the quality of cereals intended for food purposes, including cereals imported from third countries. In the case of exporting grain to third countries, the Polish exporter must meet the grain quality requirements specified by the grain buyer. The mycotoxin content limits set by a given third country may be similar to the EU limits, but may also differ from them – added the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
read more
Lowered standards for mycotoxins and the use of fungicides 
read more
DON limits also lowered in corn. Will this affect grain exports?
