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CAC/RCP65-2008Page1of7CODEOFPRACTICEFORTHEPREVENTIONANDREDUCTIONOFAFLATOXINCONTAMINATIONINDRIEDFIGSCAC/RCP65-2008INTRODUCTION1.TheelaborationandacceptanceofaCodeofPracticefordriedfigsbyCodexwillprovideuniformguidanceforallcountriestoconsiderinattemptingtocontrolandmanagecontaminationbyvariousmycotoxins,specificallyaflatoxins.Itisofhighimportanceinordertoensureprotectionfromaflatoxincontaminationinbothproducerandimportercountries.AlldriedfigsshouldbepreparedandhandledinaccordancewiththeRecommendedInternationalCodeofPractice–GeneralPrinciplesofFoodHygiene1andRecommendedInternationalCodeofHygienicPracticeforDriedFruits2whicharerelevantforallfoodsbeingpreparedforhumanconsumptionandspecificallyfordriedfruits.ItisimportantforproducerstorealizethatGoodAgriculturalPractices(GAP)representtheprimarylineofdefenceagainstcontaminationofdriedfigswithaflatoxins,followedbytheimplementationofGoodManufacturingPractices(GMP)andGoodStoragePractices(GSP)duringthehandling,processing,storageanddistributionofdriedfigsforhumanconsumption.Onlybyeffectivecontrolatallstagesofproductionandprocessing,fromtheripeningonthetreethroughharvest,drying,processing,packaging,storage,transportationanddistributioncanthesafetyandqualityofthefinalproductbeensured.However,thecompletepreventionofmycotoxincontaminationincommodities,includingdriedfigs,hasbeenverydifficulttoachieve.2.ThisCodeofPracticeappliestodriedfigs(FicuscaricaL.)ofcommercialandinternationalconcern,intendedforhumanconsumption.Itcontainsgeneralprinciplesforthereductionofaflatoxinsindriedfigsthatshouldbesanctionedbynationalauthorities.Nationalauthoritiesshouldeducateproducers,transporters,storagekeepersandotheroperatorsoftheproductionchainregardingthepracticalmeasuresandenvironmentalfactorsthatpromoteinfectionandgrowthoffungiindriedfigsresultingintheproductionofaflatoxininorchards.Emphasisshouldbeplacedonthefactthattheplanting,pre-harvest,harvestandpost-harveststrategiesforaparticularfigcropdependsontheclimaticconditionsofaparticularyear,localproduction,harvestingandprocessingpracticesfollowedinaparticularcountryorregion.3.Nationalauthoritiesshouldsupportresearchonmethodsandtechniquestopreventfungalcontaminationintheorchardandduringtheharvesting,processingandstorageofdriedfigs.AnimportantpartofthisistheunderstandingoftheecologyofAspergillusspeciesinconnectionwithdriedfigs.4.Mycotoxins,inparticularaflatoxinsaresecondarymetabolitesproducedbyfilamentousfungusfoundinsoil,airandallplantpartsandcanbetoxictohumanandanimalsthroughconsumptionofcontaminatedfoodandfeedenteringintofoodchain.Thereareanumberofdifferenttypesofaflatoxin,particularlyaflatoxinB1havebeenshowedtoxigeniceffectsi.e.itcancausecancerbyreactingwithgeneticmaterial.Aflatoxinsareproducedbymouldspeciesthatgrowinwarm,humidconditions.Aflatoxinsarefoundmainlyincommoditiesimportedfromtropicalandsubtropicalcountrieswithinparticularpeanuts(groundnuts)andotherediblenutsandtheirproducts,driedfruit,spicesandmaize.MilkandmilkproductsmayalsobecontaminatedwithaflatoxinM1owingtotheconsumptionofaflatoxincontaminatedfeedbyruminants.5.Aflatoxigenicfungiarespreadonfigfruitsduringfruitgrowth,ripeninganddryingbutthriveespeciallyduringtheripeningandoverripeningphase.TheformationofaflatoxinsindriedfigsismainlyduetocontaminationbyAspergillusspeciesandparticularlyA.flavusandA.parasiticus.Thepresenceandspreadofsuchfungusinfigorchardsareinfluencedbyenvironmentalandclimaticfactors,insects,(insectabundanceorcontrolinanorchardisrelatedtotheappliedplantprotectionmeasuressocouldbeincluded1RecommendedInternationalCodeofPractice-GeneralPrinciplesofFoodHygiene(CAC/RCP1-1969)2RecommendedInternationalCodeofHygienicPracticeforDriedFruits(CAC/RCP3-1969)CAC/RCP65-2008Page2of7inculturalpracticesbuttopointoutitssignificancecanbeleftasanotherfactor),culturalpractices,floormanagementandsusceptibilityoffigvarieties.6.Theaflatoxin-producingAspergillusspeciesandconsequentlydietaryaflatoxin,contaminationisubiquitousinareasoftheworldwithhothumidclimates.A.flavus/A.parasiticuscannotgroworproduceaflatoxinsatwateractivitieslessthan0,7;relativehumiditybelow70%andtemperaturesbelow10ºC.Understressconditionssuchasdroughtorinsectinfestation,aflatoxincontaminationislikelytobehigh.Improperstorageconditionscanalsoleadtoaflatoxincontaminationaftercropshavebeenharvested.Usually,hothumidconditionsfavourmouldgrowthonthestoredfoodwhichcanleadtohighlevelsofaflatoxins.7.Applicationofthefollowingpreventivemeasuresisrecommendedindriedfigproducingregionsinordertoreduceaflatoxincontaminationbyapplicationofgoodpractices:a)InformationoncontaminationriskEnsurethatregional/nationalauthoritiesandgrowerorganisations:¾Sampledriedfigsrepresentativelyforanalysistodeterminethelevelandfrequencyofaflatoxincontamination;samplingshouldreflectdifferencesinareas,timeoftheyearandstagefromproductiontoconsumption¾Combinethisinformationwithregionalriskfactorsincludingmeteorologicaldata,culturalpracticesandproposeadaptedriskmanagementmeasures;¾Communicatethisinformationtogrowersandotheroperatorsalongthechain.Uselabelli