ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE May 2023 43 the EC will lower the limits even further in the future. The lowest limit applies to infant nutrition, with children and pregnant women appearing to be the most sensitive, and children having on average a higher cereal consumption per kg of body weight. Regulation (EU) 2021/1399 has consequences for the monitoring of EAs and the management of contaminated batches of grain by companies. For example, a producer of infant nutrition should not use a batch of wheat with an EA content of more than 20 μg/kg for Brinta whole grain breakfast (limit 20 μg/ kg), but perhaps can still use it for self-raising flour (limit 100 μg/kg). NEW METHOD FOR ERGOT ALKALOIDS It is crucial for companies to monitor the level of EAs. One of the ways to prevent high levels of EAs from ending up in the end product, is to use a rapid test where grains are stored or processed or a quick check of ready-to-eat products. Until now, EAs could only be measured with LC-MS/MS or HPLC-FLD. These methods are precise but also time-consuming and expensive. In 2019, TKI Agri&Food financed a project (LWV19252) that aimed to contribute to the development of a validated ELISA test for EA in collaboration with industry partners. Access to practical samples, especially blank samples with the lowest possible level of EAs, was essential for the creation of a validated ELISA. The Committee of Grain Traders supplied the various grain samples used by WFSR and Eurofins for making QC materials. Randox Food Diagnostics used the QC materials for the first validation of the ELISA they developed. In a second round using field samples, (*) The maximum level for ergot alkaloids refers to the lowerbound sum of the following 12 ergot alkaloids: ergocornine/ergocorninine; ergocristine/ ergocristinine; ergocryptine/ergocryptinine (a and ẞ-form); ergometrine/ergometrinine; ergosine/ ergosinine; ergotamine/ergotaminine. In the lowerbound sum, the contribution of each non-quantified epimer is set at zero. Ergot sclerotia and ergot alkaloids Ergot sclerotia Unprocessed cereals(18) with the exception of -maize, rye and rice Unprocessed Rye(18) Ergot alkaloids(*) Milling products of barley, wheat, spelt and oats (with an ash content lower than 900mg/100g) Milling products of barley, wheat, spelt and oats (with an ash content equal or higher than 900mg/100g) Barley, wheat, spelt and oats grains placed on the market for the final consumer Rye milling products Rye placed on the market for the final consumer Wheat gluten Processed cereal based food for infants and young children(3) (29) 2.9 2.9.1 2.9.1.1 2.9.1.2 2.9.2 2.9.2.1 2.9.2.2 2.9.2.3 2.9.2.4 2.9.2.5 0,2 g/kg 0,5 g/kg until 30.6.2024 0,2 g/kg as from 1.7.2024 100 ug/kg 50 ug/kg as from 1.7.2024 150 ug/kg 500ug/kg until 30.6.2024 250 ug/kg as from 1.7.2024 400 ug/kg 20 ug/kg Foodstuffs (1) Maximum Level Table 1 ADVERTORIAL
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