Regulations and Limits for Mycotoxins in Fruits and Vegetables

Publisher Summary Regulations on mycotoxins are established in many countries to protect the consumer from the harmful effects of mycotoxins. This chapter briefly discusses the regulation and limits for mycotoxins in fruits and vegetables. Various factors play a role in the decision-making process of setting limits for mycotoxins. These include scientific factors, such as the availability of toxicological data and survey data, knowledge about the distribution of mycotoxins in commodities, and analytical methodology. Economical and political factors, such as commercial interests and sufficiency of food supply also have their impact. Many countries have specific regulations and limits for mycotoxins in fruits and vegetables. In particular, they are established for the categories nuts, herbs and spices, fruits and vegetables senso stricto , as well as for products that contain fruits and vegetables, such as baby foods and dietary products.