The strategic project that underpins confidence in UK grain safety

An AHDB initiative provides an annual snapshot of core contaminant levels in UK grain samples. Kristina Grenz explains how it supports the UK’s strong reputation for compliance and quality in grain.

Mycotoxins, agrochemical residues and other major contaminants in cereal grain and co-products have been monitored independently since the mid-1980s (both incidence and levels).

The work has supported supply-chain efforts to take reasonable steps (due diligence) to produce grain that consistently meets increasingly strict regulatory requirements.

Initially, a crop-by-crop approach was taken. However, since 2012, we have funded a unified project that covers all the major UK-grown cereals (wheat, barley and oats).

The coordinated approach has provided economies of scale and made monitoring more efficient.

It also led to the formation of a cross-commodity project steering group, which comprises representatives from major grain trade associations:

• Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC)
• British Oat & Barley Millers' Association (BOBMA)
• The Maltsters' Association of Great Britain (MAGB)
• UK Flour Millers (UKFM)

Greater than the sum of its parts, this group has a central role. For example, it agrees the core contaminants to monitor every year, helps get the appropriate grain samples (fresh-harvest and post-intake samples) to researchers for analysis and interprets what the results mean in practice.

This year, the latest phase of the initiative got underway. It will run for at least two years, with the grain analyses managed by Fera (as the UK National Reference Laboratory for Materials and Articles in Contact with Food).

The samples are screened for various contaminants, including major mycotoxins, such as fusarium toxins – deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), T-2 + HT-2 and zearalenone (ZON) – ochratoxin A (OTA) and ergot alkaloids.

In terms of agrochemical residues, we monitor for key active ingredients found in pesticides, fungicides, insecticides and plant growth regulators, as well as the high-profile herbicide glyphosate.

Despite being withdrawn as a sprout suppressant in GB potato stores in 2020, we still assess for chlorpropham (CIPC) residues. This is due to its persistence in stores, which are also used for grain.

In addition to the core contaminants, the steering group sets other contaminants to monitor for each year.

For 2025/26, this broader list covers several more toxins:

• Beauvericin and enniatins toxins (produced by various Fusarium species)
• Alternaria toxins (produced by various Alternaria species)
• Sterigmatocystin toxins (mainly produced by Aspergillus fungi)

We will also continue to monitor for key heavy metals, such as copper.

Additional data on contaminants is also provided directly by the steering group members.

The good news is that the previous project phase found that contaminant levels were usually within the limits specified by both the EU and UK.

Any results of concern are discussed by the steering group, which also puts in place action plans to reduce risks across the supply chain.

Project data is also used to inform government debate on contamination risks.

A recent example relates to T-2 and HT-2, following the introduction of stricter EU maximum levels for these mycotoxins (which directly impact Northern Ireland).

Last month, the UK’s Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) published a draft statement on the risk for T-2 and HT-2 mycotoxins in food, based on evidence provided by AHDB and others.

In this continually evolving area, it is essential to keep ahead.

It is why we have been looking at variation in susceptibility to these mycotoxins in oat varieties for several years.

Recently, the EU also introduced maximum levels for ergot alkaloids (in addition to visible ergots).

Once again, to keep farm practice ahead of potential changes, we updated our ergot management strategies earlier this year.

We are also in a strong position to supply data to help the government set practical and achievable ergot alkaloid limits in GB, if required.

Keep an eye out for contaminants monitoring data based on harvest 2025 grain samples early next year.

The project page includes statements of support from the project’s industry partners.