Safety of Cereals in the Mediterranean: An Update on EU Legislation

Cereals are still by far the world’s most important source of food, both for direct human consumption and indirectly, as inputs to livestock production. Cereals, vegetables, and citrus fruits account for over 85% of the Mediterranean’s total agricultural production. Cereals undergo several and different primary and secondary processing procedures. As a result, highly processed final products from cereals are used in cuisine for human nutrition. Cereal contamination has an important impact on human health. The European Union has established the most comprehensive regulations for the safety of cereal and cereal derived products to protect consumer health and facilitate world trade. This paper reviews the existing European Union legislation associated with cereal safety, with a focus on mycotoxin, heavy metal and pesticide contamination. A synoptic presentation of the main legal acts related to cereal safety is given, and the main points of each law are reported. Moreover, data regarding the occurrence, in the Mediterranean area, of mycotoxins, heavy metals and pesticide residues in cereals are reported.