JECFA meets to evaluate food safety risks associated with chemical contaminants

The 90th Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) met from 26 October to 6 November 2020 to carry out risk assessments of trichothecenes (T-2 and HT-2) and discuss the acceptability of certain substances used as previous cargoes.

The meeting saw the participation of a number of prominent international scientists with a wide range of expertise. While initially slated to be held at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, the meeting instead took place on a virtual platform due to the various pandemic-related restrictions in place.

Trichothecenes are toxins produced by fungi that grow on many different grains like wheat, oats, and maize. T2 and HT-2 are members of a group of trichothecenes that are found in cereal crops and can cause acute intoxication in both humans and animals.

Read about the conversation we had with Diane Benford (chair of the meeting) about previous cargoes and why it was important for JECFA to assess the risks associated with them.

The summary and conclusions of the 90th JECFA meeting is now published and can be found here.

Read more about JECFA and the Scientific Advice Programme at FAO.

Read more about JECFA on the WHO webpage.