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Process-related Compounds and Natural Toxins Task Force

Food Chain

Background and Objectives

Process-related compounds and natural toxins may enter the food chain through plant and animal products we eat, either inherently present or generated as a result of infection or during preparation and processing, entailing in some cases a risk of adverse effects. Examples include 3-MCPD esters, acrylamide, furan and plant toxins like glycoalkaloids in potatoes, lectins in improperly cooked pulses as well as mycotoxins produced by moulds and other fungi that can contaminate for example cereal crops (e.g. ochratoxin A) or nuts (aflatoxins).

The mission of the Task Force (TF) is to maintain and improve public health by advancing the scientific understanding of such substances and the magnitude of their impact on potential risks/benefit to human health. Main areas of focus include consideration of toxicity, exposure, mitigation impact and analytical aspects, providing a neutral forum for exchange of information and debate.

Impact

The Process-related Compounds and Natural Toxins TF and the Risk Assessment of Chemicals TF along with the European Commission - DG Health and Consumers jointly organised a Workshop in February 2009 in Brussels to address risk assessment of 3-MCPD esters in foods. The workshop brought together government scientists from many EU member states and various oil and food industries. The report of the workshop was published in the ILSI Europe Report Series in October 2009.

In the past, the article entitled ‘Human exposure and internal dose assessments of acrylamide in food’ published in Food and Chemical Toxicology, in 2005, was one of the few reviews in this area and was considered useful and often cited. This has contributed to the risk assessment of acrylamide in food and helped to understand the impact on public health. The article was provided to the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) for their evaluation of acrylamide in 2005. The task force was also invited to present this important work at the EC DG Health and Consumers Stakeholder Consultation on Acrylamide in January 2005 and presented a poster at several meetings.

In 2008, the task force published an article entitled ‘Risk-benefit considerations of mitigation measures on acrylamide content of foods – a case study on potatoes, cereals and coffee’ in the British Journal of Nutrition. This article is a useful tool for risk assessors and risk managers to help in science-based decision-making, and serves as a basis for education and communication to food processors and consumers. To date, there have been presentations at the DG Health and Consumers meeting in June 2005, at a workshop sponsored jointly by EFSA, DG Health and Consumers and the FoodDrink Europe in March 2006, at the COST 927-IMARS joint workshop (Maillard reaction in food and medicine) in May 2006, in Naples, and EUROTOX meeting in October 2007, in Amsterdam.

Before merging with the Process-related Compounds TF in 2009, the Natural Toxins Task Force published detailed papers on the mycotoxins Ochratoxin A and Trichothecenes that are referenced in EFSA’s Opinion on Ochratoxin A in food.

Activities

Criteria to Determine Effectiveness of Dietary Exposure Mitigation

There have been significant developments over the last decades in risk assessment models, methods and ways of defining outcomes. An equivalent development has not as yet occurred in measuring effectiveness of exposure mitigation, or determining potential increase in exposure upon accidental pollution or changed patterns of consumption.

The aim of the activity is to identify criteria for determining the degree of impact of mitigation measures on dietary exposure to substances of concern. To verify and refine these criteria against a range of different dietary exposure scenarios, case studies will be reviewed. Examples of these exposure scenarios are acrylamide and furan in cooked foods, methyl mercury in fish, fusarium mycotoxins in cereals, lead in fruit and vegetables, and dioxins in fatty foods. It is envisaged to publish the outcome of this project in a peer-review journal. The activity was initiated with a brainstorming meeting on the 1st of March 2012.

Food plant metabolites of mycotoxins (masked mycotoxins)

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that contaminate a wide range of food crops. It is known that these toxic chemicals are absorbed by plants and metabolised through conjugation to polar substances such as sugars, amino acids, or sulphates. For example, increasing data indicate that the trichothecene deoxynivalenol (DON) is present in cereals as various glucosides (mono-, di- and tri-). In some cereal samples, reported levels of DON-glucosides were higher than the corresponding free DON levels. Similarly, evidence for the presence of mycotoxin metabolites in food crops is available for zearalenone and ochratoxin A. In addition, mycotoxins may occur in plants as bound to the protein matrix (e.g. fumonisins bound to maize prolamins and glutelins).

Currently, very limited data are available on occurrence in food (crops and animal origin), exposure and toxicity of mycotoxin metabolites and, therefore, the health significance of these molecules is unclear. It is important to note that mycotoxin metabolites (also called masked, hidden or conjugated mycotoxins) escape analytical detection techniques currently applied in quality assurance.

Masked mycotoxins raise two basic issues:

Mycotoxin conjugates may be hydrolysed in the gut and/or released during processing prior to consumption, resulting in unexpected high exposures to the parent mycotoxins.
Mycotoxin metabolites may exert toxicity by themselves.

Masked mycotoxins are gaining increasing scientific attention. It appears important to review the available information to understand the actual level of concern associated with their presence in food and to decide whether further activities are required. The project aims to review all existing data on masked mycotoxins (DON, OTA, FB, ZEA), including analytical methods, occurrence in crops and livestock, mammalian metabolism and toxicology. It will also assess the potential contribution of masked versus parent molecules and establish levels of safety concern. The expert group will identify data gaps and knowledge needs and, if needed, establish a list of priorities and associated action plan.

The outcome of the expert group’s work was submitted for publication to the Molecular Nutrition and Food Research journal.

3-MCPD Esters in Food Products

Background

Following the discovery and confirmation of relatively large amounts of 3-MCPD-esters in foods and food ingredients, a workshop was organised by ILSI-Europe in February 2009, in order to review all available data relevant for risk assessment. Significant knowledge gaps and research needs were identified. Recommendations on how best to address issues related to 3-MCPD esters and related compounds, i.e. 2-MCPD–esters and glycidyl-esters, in foods were formulated. This workshop triggered widespread activities on analytical challenges, mitigation and toxicology. It was decided to follow these scientific developments through a shared activity between the ILSI Europe Process-related and Natural Toxins and the Risk Assessment of Chemicals in Food task forces.

The progress was reviewed in a second workshop held in 2011 which focussed on the development of analytical methods, including the direct analysis of MCPDs, glycidol and their esters. An ILSI Europe expert group initiated a critical review of these methods in the context of their performance and applicability to address key issues such as occurrence in food, mechanism of formation, mitigation and toxicology. It is currently considered that several important analytical challenges encountered earlier could now be resolved. In addition, new evidence on mechanisms of formation and on possible application in mitigation approaches is emerging. The expert group prepared a working document targeting the following topics:

Analytical methods for monitoring
Analytical methods and occurrence data
Analytical methods in toxicology

A separate manuscript has been written by the expert group on factors affecting the mitigation of MCPD esters and glycidyl esters in food products.

Both documents were discussed during the workshop in separate working groups and will result in two publications published back-to-back in Food Additives and Contaminants. In addition, the proceedings of the workshop will be published in the ILSI Report Series and a short summary of the workshop outcomes can be uploaded on the workshop page.

Task Force Collaborators

Members - 2012

Dr. Gabriele Scholz - Chair -	Nestlé	CH

Dr. Adina Creanga	Bunge Europe	BE
Dr. Emanuele Forte	Soremartec Italia - Ferrero Group	IT
Mr. Helmut Günther	Kraft Foods Europe	DE
Dr. Clare Hazel	Premier Foods	UK
Dr. Brett Jeffery	Mars	UK
Dr. Hervé Lafforgue	Danone	FR
Dr. Yves Le Bail- Collet	Cargill	BE
Dr. Sue O’Hagan	Pepsico International	UK
Dr. Gloria Pellegrino	Luigi Lavazza	IT
Dr. Josef Schlatter	Swiss Federal Office of Public Health	CH
Mr. Ryo Shimojo	Kikkoman Foods Europe	NL
Dr. Gerrit Speijers	Consultant	NL
Dr. Lonneke Wilms	DSM	NL

Ms. Jilde Garst	ILSI Europe	BE
Mr. Frederic Timmermans	ILSI Europe	BE

Expert Group on Mycotoxins

Dr. Gerrit Speijers - Chair -	Consultant	NL

Dr. Franz Berthiller	University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences	AT
Dr. Colin Crews	The Food and Environment Research Agency – FERA	UK
Dr. Chiara Dall’Asta	University of Parma	IT
Prof. Sarah De Saeger	University of Ghent	BE
Prof. Geert Haersaert	University College Ghent	BE
Dr. Clare Hazel	Premier Foods	UK
Prof. Petr Karlovsky	University of Goettingen	DE
Dr. Isabelle Oswald	INRA	FR
Dr. Walburga Seefelder	Nestlé	CH
Dr. Joerg Stroka*	European Commission – Joint Research Centre	BE

Dr. Pratima Rao Jasti	ILSI Europe	BE
Ms. Jilde Garst	ILSI Europe	BE

* Observer

Advisory Group on 3-MCPD Esters in Food Products

Prof. Alfonso Lampen - Chair -	Federal Institute for Risk Assessment	DE

Dr. Nagendran Bala Sundram	Embassy of Malaysia	BE
Ms. Claire-Lise Bechert	FEDIOL	BE
Dr. Almut Bitterhof*	European Commission – DG Health and Consumers	BE
Dr. Falke Brüse	Cargill	NL
Prof. Gerhard Eisenbrand	Kaiserlautern University	DE
Dr. Benoît Schilter	Nestlé	CH
Dr. Gabriele Scholz	Nestlé	CH
Dr. Thomas Wenzl*	European Commission - General Joint Research Centre	BE

Dr. Alessandro Chiodini	ILSI Europe	BE
Ms. Jilde Garst	ILSI Europe	BE

*Observer

Expert Group on Analytical Methods for Detection of 3-MCPD esters

Dr. Walburga Seefelder - Chair-	Nestlé	CH

Dr. Brian Craft	Nestlé	CH
Dr. Colin Crews	The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA)	UK
Dr. Colin Hamlet	Premier Foods	UK
Dr. Karel Hrncirik	Unilever	NL
Dr. Michael Granvogl	German Institute for Food Chemicals (DFA)	DE
Dr. Jan Kuhlmann	SGS Germany	DE
Prof. Alfonso Lampen	Federal Institute for Risk Assessment	DE
Dr. Grabriele Scholz	Nestlé	CH
Dr. Rüdiger Weisshaar	Chemical and Veterinary Research Centre	DE
Dr. Thomas Wenzl*	European Commission – General Joint Research Centre	BE

Dr. Alessandro Chiodini	ILSI Europe	BE
Ms. Jilde Garst	ILSI Europe	BE

*Observer

Publications

C. Crews. Summary report of the workshop on MCPD and Glycidyl Esters in Food Products held in November 2011. ILSI Europe Report Series 2012: 1-24.

G. Speijers et al. Evaluation of Agronomic Practices for Mitigation of Natural Toxins. ILSI Europe Report Series 2010:1-48.

M. van Boekel et al. A Review on the Beneficial Aspects of Food Processing. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research 2010;54:1215-1247.

Summary report of the workshop on 3-MCPD Esters in Food Products published in the ILSI Europe Report Series 2009:1-32

C. J. Seal, A. de Mul et al. Risk-Benefit Considerations of Mitigation Measures on Acrylamide Content of Foods - A Case Study on Potatoes, Cereals and Coffee. British Journal of Nutrition 2008;99(Suppl.2):S1-S46.

E. Dybing, P.B. Farmer et al. Human Exposure and Internal Dose Assessments of Acrylamide in Food. Food and Chemical Toxicology 2005;43(3):365-410.

C. Hazel, R. Walker Guest eds. Ochratoxin A in Food : Recent Developments and Significance. Food Additives and Contaminants 2005;22(1):1-107. (Proceedings)

S.W. Page Guest ed. Trichothecenes with a Special Focus on DON. Toxicology Letters 2004;153(1):1-190. (Proceedings)

Summary Report published in the ILSI Europe Report Series 2004:1-36

B. Schilter, C. Andersson et al. Guidance for the Safety Assessment of Botanicals and Botanical Preparation with Use in Food and Food Supplements. Food and Chemical Toxicology 2003;41(12):1625-1649. Also in ILSI Report Series 2003.

To download the poster of the task force, please click here.

For more information, please contact info@ilsieurope.be.