Essential descriptors for mycotoxin contamination data in food and feed.

Area of Science:

• Food safety and toxicology
• Data standardization and management
• International public health

Background:

• Mycotoxin food contamination data is fragmented and inconsistently described.
• Standardized reporting is essential for effective collaborative research and large-scale data analysis.
• Existing data descriptors from EFSA and GEMS need supplementation, particularly for low- and middle-income countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate new data descriptors for mycotoxin contamination.
• To complement existing European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS) data descriptors.
• To enhance the application of mycotoxin data in low- and middle-income countries.

Main Methods:

• A three-round Delphi process involving 12 international mycotoxin experts.
• Proposal of 22 new descriptors (17 study, 1 sample, 4 assay level) related to pre- and post-harvest.
• Consensus achieved on all proposed descriptors, with high agreement rates in Delphi II and III.

Main Results:

• A total of 80 descriptors (33 EFSA, 25 GEMS, 22 MYTOX-SOUTH®) were organized into study, sample, and assay categories.
• A data submission template was created and pre-tested, with an average completion time of 42 minutes per sample.
• The new descriptors improve data informativeness, reusability, and applicability, especially for data from low- and middle-income countries.

Conclusions:

• The developed descriptors and template enhance mycotoxin data standardization globally.
• This initiative supports technical cooperation for food contaminant monitoring programs in various countries.
• Standardized reporting facilitates mycotoxin exposure and risk assessments, enabling international benchmarking and common practice.