HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"L 77/20
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
16.3.2012
RECOMMENDATIONS
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
of 15 March 2012
on the monitoring of the presence of ergot alkaloids in feed and food
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2012/154/EU)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
(5) At
present,
the
degree
of
variability
in
ergot
alkaloid
pattern in relation to fungal species, geographical
distribution as well as in relation to the host plant (for
example, the alkaloid pattern in rye ergot is different
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European
from that in other grass ergot) is not known. More
Union, and in particular Article 292 thereof,
data would be needed to identify all factors responsible
for the variability in ergot alkaloid pattern in individual
plant species.
Whereas:
(6) The
physical
determination
of
the
contamination
rate
of
cereals by rye ergot is often inaccurate, as size and
(1) Directive
2002/32/EC
of
the
European
Parliament
and
of
weight of the sclerotia may vary considerably.
the Council of 7 May 2002 on undesirable substances in
Moreover, this physical determination is impossible in
animal feed ( 1 ) provides that the use of products intended
processed feed and food. Hence, it has been suggested
for animal feed which contain levels of undesirable
to provide in addition to control by physical methods
substances exceeding the maximum levels laid down in
also the possibility to control by chemical analysis of
Annex I thereto is prohibited.
potentially contaminated feed and food, as various chro
matographic methods are available to detect ergot
alkaloids in feed and food. The methods are confined,
however, to a selected number of ergot alkaloids.
(2)
A maximum level of 1 000 mg/kg of rye ergot (Claviceps
purpurea) sclerotia has been established for feed
containing unground cereals.
(7) It
is
necessary
to
generate
more
data
on
the
presence
of
these ergot alkaloids, not only in unground cereals but
(3) The
Scientific
Panel
on
Contaminants
in
the
Food
Chain
also in cereal products and compound feed and food and
of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) adopted
to obtain reliable data on the ergot alkaloid pattern in
an opinion on a request from the Commission related to
feed and food and to relate the presence of ergot
ergot as undesirable substance in animal feed on
alkaloids to the amount of sclerotia present. It is appro
19 April 2005 (
priate to focus this monitoring on the six predominantly

2 ).
present ergot alkaloids, i.e. ergometrine, ergotamine,
ergosine, ergocristine, ergocryptine and ergocornine and
their related -inines,
(4) The
term
ergot
refers
to
fungal
structures
from Claviceps
species developing instead of kernels on grain ears or
seeds on grass heads, being visible as large dark
coloured sclerotia. These sclerotia contain different
classes of alkaloids, the most prominent being ergome
HAS ADOPTED THIS RECOMMENDATION:
trine, ergotamine, ergosine, ergocristine, ergocryptine and
ergocornine and their related -inines. The amount and
toxin pattern vary between fungal strains, depending on
the host plant and the geographical region.
1. Member States should perform with the active involvement
of the feed and food business operators monitoring on the
( 1 ) OJ L 140, 30.5.2002, p. 10.
presence of ergot alkaloids in cereals and cereal products
( 2 ) Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Contaminants in Food Chain
intended for human consumption or intended for animal
on a request from the Commission related to ergot as undesirable
substance in animal feed, EFSA Journal (2005)225, 1-27. http://www.
feeding, in pasture/forage grasses for animal feeding and in
efsa.europa.eu/en/scdocs/doc/contam_op_ej225_ergot_en1.pdf
compound feed and food.

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EN
16.3.2012 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union L
77/21
2. Member States should analyse the samples for at least the
3. Member States should determine, whenever possible, simul
following ergot alkaloids:
taneously the sclerotia content in the sample in order to be
able to improve the knowledge on the relation between the
content of sclerotia and the level of individual ergot alka
— ergocristine/ergocristinine,
loids.
— ergotamine/ergotaminine,
4. The analytical results should be provided on a regular basis
to EFSA for compilation into a database.
— ergocryptine/ergocryptinine,
— ergometrine/ergometrinine,
Done at Brussels, 15 March 2012.
— ergosine/ergosinine,
For the Commission
John DALLI
— ergocornine/ergocorninine.
Member of the Commission

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Document Outline

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