The role of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in establishment of mycotoxin regulation

Abstract

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) is Codex Alimentarius panel, which is administrated by FAO and WHO. The committee consists of international scientific experts of food additives and contamination. The committee evaluates the safety of food additives. contaminants, naturally occurring toxicants such as mycotoxins and residues of veterinary drugs in food. The Committee has developed principles for the safety assessment of chemicals in food and also established the provisional tolerance dairy intakes (PMTDI). Based on the evaluation, the committee recommends the guideline and maximum residues limit (MRL) to Codex Alimentarius. Until now, JECFA has evaluated total aflatoxin. patulin, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, T-2/HT-2 toxin, fumonisins, aflatoxin M₁. Except total aflatoxin and aflatoxin M₁, these mycotoxins has been set PMTDI.In this paper, the role of JECFA is introduced with the relationship of Codex Alimentarius.