Aflatoxins
Aflatoxins
Description
Aflatoxins are toxins formed by molds, which are produced by two mold species of the genus Aspergillus. These toxins are mold toxins that are largely heat stable. Aflatoxins can therefore not be destroyed or reduced during food processing, e.g. by cooking and baking.
Health risk
Aflatoxins have a carcinogenic potential and can damage genetic material. If food containing elevated levels of aflatoxins is consumed once or over a short period of time, no adverse health effects are to be expected. As a long-term consequence, kidney damage, liver damage such as cirrhosis, and kidney and liver cancer may occur.
The situation in Austria
As contamination by aflatoxins cannot always be avoided, the European Commission has set maximum levels for aflatoxins in Regulation (EU) 2023/915, which apply to specific foodstuffs and feed. In Austria, the foodstuffs in question are regularly checked for compliance with these maximum levels as part of official food inspections during targeted campaigns. Products in which the maximum aflatoxin levels are exceeded may not be placed on the market in the EU.
Mycotoxin levels influence the possible uses of maize and maize products. In order to obtain an initial overview of the quality of the maize harvest even before the main harvest, we have been carrying out pre-harvest mycotoxin monitoring of grain maize for many years in collaboration with the Chambers of Agriculture. This also involves testing for aflatoxins.
Mycotoxins in maize and maize products - AGES
Contaminant Control Programme 2025 for milk, eggs and honey – AGES
Mycotoxins, pyrrolizidine alkaloids and treatment with ionising radiation in spices 2024
Cereal-based weaning foods, biscuits and rusks for infants 2024
Residues, microbiology and authenticity of insects (and insect products) 2023
Mycotoxins in nuts and oilseeds 2023
Contaminants in cocoa and cocoa products 2023
Cereal-based weaning foods, biscuits and rusks for infants 2023
Aflatoxins in nuts and oilseeds 2020
Contaminants in cocoa and cocoa products 2020
Ochratoxin A and aflatoxins in products containing liquorice root or extracts 2020
Tips
- Do not consume products containing aflatoxin and foods made from them that have been recalled because of aflatoxins.
- Do not consume foods that have mold. On the one hand, the mold might not have visibly spread in the food; on the other hand, the mycotoxins formed by the mold might spread in the food. This is especially true for foods with high water content, but also bread and other cereal products. Exceptions apply to foods with a very low water content, such as hard cheese or salami. In such foods, the mold can be removed by cutting it out generously.Avoid moist and warm storage of foods, as this promotes fungal growth and toxin formation
Technical information
Aflatoxins are both hepatotoxic and carcinogenic, as well as being mutagenic. Studies of population groups clearly show that aflatoxins play a role in the development of liver cancer. Aflatoxin B1 is generally regarded as the most toxic toxin in this group. The metabolic products of aflatoxins excreted by livestock via milk or eggs are also dangerous to humans, which is why aflatoxin levels are strictly controlled throughout the EU, not only in food but also in animal feed.
In 2020, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) carried out a risk assessment on the presence of aflatoxins in food for the European population. The risk assessment was limited to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), AFB2, AFG1, AFG2 and AFM1. More than 200,000 analytical results on the presence of aflatoxins were included in the assessment. Cereals and cereal products contributed most to the mean chronic dietary intake of AFB1 across all age groups, whilst milk and fermented milk products were the main sources of the mean intake of AFM1. Aflatoxins are genotoxic, and AFB1 can cause hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in humans. A toxicological reference dose of 10% of animals with tumours (BMDL10) was calculated as 0.4 µg/kg body weight per day for the incidence of HCC in male rats following AFB1 exposure. This BMDL10 was used within the framework of the Margin-of-Exposure (MOE) approach. There were insufficient data available to calculate a BMDL based on human data; instead, the carcinogenic potentials estimated by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in 2016 were used. For AFM1, an effect factor of 0.1 relative to AFB1 was used. For AFG1, AFB2 and AFG2, the in vivo data are insufficient to derive potency factors, and, as in previous evaluations, the same potency as for AFB1 was assumed. The MOE values for AFB1 exposure ranged from 5,000 to 29 and for AFM1 from 100,000 to 508. The calculated MOEs are below 10,000 for AFB1 and also below 10,000 for AFM1, with some studies, particularly for younger age groups, showing an MOE value below 10,000. From this, EFSA has concluded that the exposure of the European population gives cause for health concern. The estimated cancer risks to humans following exposure to AFB1 and AFM1 are consistent with the conclusions drawn from the MOEs. The conclusions also apply to combined exposure to all five aflatoxins.
Last updated: 28.05.2026
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