Commercial use of rapid mycotoxin test kits: significance and potential harmonisation issues

A key requirement of any food safety management system is the process of demonstrating its continuous effectiveness (verification). Increasingly, rapid test methods are being used by food businesses as a tool to assist them in this process. This includes management of hazards presented by mycotoxins. These compounds provide a significant challenge to both food processors and regulatory agencies, since they are usually present in the raw material on receipt and subsequent process steps have only limited efficiency in effecting their removal. Within the commercial environment it is critical for those purchasing raw materials to satisfy themselves that any delivery meets regulatory and specification requirements. Decisions to accept or reject deliveries usually need to be taken within short time periods (minutes rather than hours). This requires the use of rapid and - at the same time - reliable analytical methodology; furthermore, the methods need to be of minimal complexity. Within the European Union (EU),...