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CODEOFPRACTICEFORTHEPREVENTIONANDREDUCTIONOFMYCOTOXINCONTAMINATIONINCEREALSCAC/RCP51-2003Adoptedin2003.Amendment:2014,2017.Revision:2016.CAC/RCP51-20032INTRODUCTION1.Toxigenicfungiareprevalentinregionsinclimaticzoneswhichallowforsmallandlargescalecerealgrainproduction.Althoughthespeciesandstrainsmaydifferamonggrain-producingregions,thesefungiarepresentinsoils,inwildhostplantspecies,intheresiduesofcultivatedcropsandstoredgrainsandinthedustindryingand/orstoragefacilities.Thefungiareassociatedwithbothpre-harvestandpostharvestmycotoxincontaminationincereals.2.Theseverityofpre-harvestfungalpropagationishighlydependentuponweatherconditionsvaryinggreatlyfromyeartoyearingrain-producingregions.Theseverityofpre-harvestinfectionandpropagationoftoxigenicfungicanalsovarywiththedegreeofdamagecausedbyinsectsandothernon-toxigenicfungi.Becauseofthesefactors,mycotoxinconcentrationsobservedingrainsatharvestvarywidelyfromyeartoyear.Reliablepreventionofpre-harvestfungalinfectionhasbeenproventobeelusive,evenwithapplicationofgoodagriculturalpractices(GAP)andcommerciallyavailablefungicides.CerealbreedinghasresultedinonlymodestgainsingeneticresistancetotheFusariumearblight(Fusariumheadblight)ofcerealsincultivarswithacceptablequality,yieldandtolerancetootherimportantcerealdiseases.3.Theseverityofpost-harvestfungalinfectionandpropagationduringprolongedperiodsofgrainstoragecanbemanagedmorepredictablythroughGAPandgoodmanufacturingpractices(GMP)thatensurethatmoisturelevelsinstoredgrainremainbelowlevelsthatareconducivetogerminationofsporesofcommonpost-harvestfungalspeciesspecifictotheenvironmentalconditionspresentintheregion.However,researchhasconfirmedthatsporesofsuchspeciesareubiquitousinsoils,equipment,andstoragestructuresdespitediligentcleaning.Consequently,germinationofthesporesofthemycotoxigenicspeciescanoccurwithincertaintemperaturerangesifevenasmallamountofstoredgraindevelopselevatedmoisturelevelsfromexposuretoprecipitationorinsectinfestation.Thesizeanddesignoflargegrainstoragestructuresandthelimitedaccesstotechnologyoftenmakeprecisemonitoringofmoistureandtemperatureinstoredgrainextremelydifficultorotherwiseimpractical.4.Riskofpost-harvestfungalinfectionandproductionofmycotoxinsinstoredgrainincreaseswiththedurationofstorage.However,longtermstorage,generallythroughoutanentirecropyearorforevenlongerperiods,mayberequireddependingonthegrainneedsofthespecificproductionregionwherethecommodityisbeingstored.Thismaybeduetoreasonsoffoodsecurityandthecontinuousinputintostorageofnecessarycerealgrainsfordirectconsumption,processingand/oranimalfeed.5.Thecompletepreventionofdisseminationbypre-harvestandpost-harvesttoxigenicfungalspeciesisnotpracticallyachievable,evenwhenGAPandGMParefollowed.Therefore,theintermittentpresenceofcertainmycotoxinsincerealgrainsdestinedforhumanfoodandanimalfeeduseistobeexpected.Thusdiligentmonitoringofcerealgrainsinthefieldandduringstorageforindicationsofthevariousconditionsthatpromotefungalcontaminationandmycotoxinaccumulationisimperativetodeterminedispositionofthecommodity.6.ThisCodeofPracticeprovidescurrentandrelevantinformationforallcountriestoconsiderintheireffortstopreventandreducemycotoxincontaminationincerealgrains,grain-derivedfoodsandanimalfeeds.InorderforthisCodeofPracticetobeeffective,itwillbenecessaryfornationalauthorities,producers,marketers,andprocessorsineachcountrytoconsiderthegeneralprinciplesandexamplesofGAPandGMPprovidedintheCode,takingintoaccounttheirlocalcrops,climate,andagronomicpracticestoenableandfacilitateadoptionofthesepracticeswhererelevantandfeasible.ThisCodeofPracticeisexpectedtoapplytoallcerealgrainsandcerealproductsrelevanttohumandietaryintakeandhealthaswellasinternationaltrade.7.ItisimportantforgrainproducerstorealisethatGAP,includingpostharvest,storage,handlingprocedures,representtheprimarylineofdefenceagainstcontaminationofcerealswithmycotoxins,followedbytheimplementationofGMPduringthehandling,storage,processinganddistributionofcerealsforfoodandanimalfeed.ProcessingindustriesalsohavearoletoimplementGMPwhererequired,mainlyduringgrainsorting,cleaningandprocessing.8.CerealgrainproducersshouldbetrainedtofollowGAPandmaintainacloserelationshipwithagriculturaladvisors,extensionservicesandnationalauthoritiestoobtaininformationandadviceregardingthechoiceofappropriatecerealgraincultivarsandplantprotectionproductssuitableforuseintheirrespectiveproductionregionssoastoreduceincidenceandlevelsofmycotoxins.9.ThisCodeofPracticecontainsgeneralprinciplesforthereductionofvariousmycotoxinsincereals.Fortheeducationofproducers,handlersandprocessors,andprovidinginformationontestingtorelevantparties,thefollowingshouldbeobserved:CAC/RCP51-20033(a)Nationalauthoritiesand/orotherorganisationsshouldeducateproducersregardingtheenvironmentalfactorsthatfavourinfectionandgrowthoftoxigenicfungi,andmycotoxinproductionincerealcropsatthefarmlevel.Emphasisshouldbeplacedonthefactthattheplanting,pre-harvestandpostharveststrategiesforaparticularcropwilldependontheclimaticconditionsofthatparticularregionandyear,takingintoac