EUROPEmeetsASIA – Mitigation of mycotoxins during food processing – lessons and practical guidance from recent European studies and applicability to SE Asia

Bangkok, Thaïlande
15/01/2020

Background
In 2014-2016, the International Life Sciences Institute Europe (ILSI Europe) Process-related Compounds and Natural Toxins Task Force (PRC) dedicated a project to understand the possibility in mitigating mycotoxins by food processing. The resulting publication by Karlovsky et al. on ‘Impact of Food Processing and Detoxification Treatments on Mycotoxin Contamination’ highlights physical, chemical and biological processes and suggests which processes can lower or eliminate specific mycotoxins. It also summarises and analyses the data on various food commodities such as cereals, cocoa or fruits.
The huge interest of the scientific community in this work stimulated the subsequent translation of these scientific findings into a concrete guidance for industry.

Objectives
The present session was organized in collaboration with ILSI Southeast Asia Region and is devoted to:

  • Introduce and illustrate the available practical guidance document
  • Help Asian and international food producers with clear, easy to implement, practical suggestions & guidelines for process adaptation aiming at mycotoxins mitigation
  • Stimulate a stakeholder group discussion to identify the still remaining gaps and challenges in mycotoxins mitigation, in particular faced by Southeast Asian food operators and other stakeholders (researchers, official control agencies etc.) involved in mycotoxin food contamination

The programme can be found here.

The session on 15 January 2020 (08.30-10.30 ICT) will be structured in the following way:

Chair: Dr Michele Suman, Barilla SpA (IT) - Food Safety & Authenticity Research Manager
Rapporteur: Dr Geoffry Smith (President, ILSI Southeast Asia Region)

“Introduction to ILSI Europe and the Practical Guidance on Mycotoxin Mitigation along Food Processing”
Dr Michele Suman, Barilla SpA (IT)- Food Safety & Authenticity Research Manager
ILSI Europe Chair of the Processing Contaminants & Natural Toxins Task Force

“Toxicological Assessment of Process-related mycotoxins at a Regulatory Level – state of the art”
Dr Paula Alvito, National Institute of Health, Food and Nutrition Department (PT) – Senior Toxicologist

“In-depth Analysis: how to Manage the Cereals and Cereals-based Food Production Chain Mitigating Mycotoxins”
Dr Johan De Meester, Cargill R&D (BE) - Senior Advisor Scientific and Regulatory Affairs

“Case study: The application of the Mycotoxin Mitigation Guidance at an ASEAN Level in Coffee Production”
Dr Jonathan Barcelo, Saint Louis University (PH) – Assistant Professor, School of Natural Sciences

“Remaining Gaps and Challenges on Mycotoxin Mitigation in Southeast Asia”
Mr Elias Rito, European Association of Chemical Distributors (Fecc) (BE) – Technical and Regulatory Affairs Manager

“Roundtable Discussion on the Toxicology, Occurrence and Risk Assessment of Mycotoxins”
Dr Michele Suman, Dr Paula Alvito, Dr Johan De Meester, Dr Jonathan Barcelo, Mr Elias Rito and Dr Warapa Mahakarnchanakul

For more information about this session you may contact Hui Key Lee (ILSI Southeast Asia Region) or Tobias Recker (ILSI Europe).