Plant Toxins and Mycotoxins Unit

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Our tasks

  • Assessment of health risks from mycotoxins in food
  • Management of the National Reference Laboratory for Mycotoxins and Plant Toxins in Food and Feed
  • Research on improvements to chemical analysis methods, as well as on the occurrence and behaviour of mycotoxins and plant toxins in food and feed

Assessment of health risks of mycotoxins in food

National Reference Laboratory for mycotoxins and plant toxins

The Unit houses the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for Mycotoxins and Plant Toxins in Food and Feed. As a member of the network of EU Member State reference laboratories and point of contact for the German official control laboratories, this NRL is assigned the following tasks:

  • Collaboration with the EU Reference Laboratory (EURL) for Mycotoxins and Plant Toxins
  • Forwarding of information from the EURL to the competent German authorities and national official laboratories commissioned to complete analysis assignments as part of statutory food and feed surveillance
  • Development and validation of analysis methods for the determination of plant toxins and mycotoxins in food and feed
  • Provision of inter laboratory trials: proficiency tests as well as method validation studies
  • Providing scientific and technical support to the competent authorities for the implementation of control programmes, including the regular organisation of NRL workshops as well as participation in expert groups of the National Food Mmonitoring Programme and the National Surveillance Plan (BüP)
  • Harmonisation and standardisation of analytical methods, e.g. by participating in bodies of the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) or working groups according to § 64 of the German Food and Feed Code (LFGB)

Research

Topics covered by the unit

Contact

Dr. Stefan Weigel Head Unit - Plant Toxins and Mycotoxins Address: Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10
10589 Berlin
Germany
Postal address: German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment)
Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10
10589 Berlin
Germany
Telephone: +49-30-18412-28501 +49-30-18412-28501 Fax: +49-30-18412-628500 E-mail: 85@bfr.bund.de
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