Update of the Scientific Opinion on the risks for animal and public health related to the presence of Alternaria toxins in feed and food

The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM Panel) to update its 2011 Scientific Opinion on the risks to animal and public health related to the presence of Alternaria toxins in feed and food. This Opinion addresses alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), altenuene (ALT), altertoxins I and II (ATX-I, ATX-II), stemphyltoxin III (STTX-III), tenuazonic acid (TeA) and tentoxin (TEN), for which occurrence and/or toxicological data were available. The highest occurrence levels were reported for TeA, particularly in mulberries, paprika powder and processed tomato products. AOH and AME induce DNA damage through a non-threshold mechanism. Their estimated mean chronic dietary exposures exceeded the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) for substances with potential DNA-reactive mutagenic and/or carcinogenic properties (2.5 ng/kg body weight (bw) per day) in most population groups. For the non-genotoxic ALT and TEN, dietary exposures were below the TTC for Cramer Class III compounds (1500 ng/kg bw per day), indicating low probability of adverse health effects. ATX-I, ATX-II and STTX-III were also found to be genotoxic, however, due to the lack of occurrence data, the TTC approach could not be used for these substances. For TeA, the available genotoxicity data did not allow to draw firm conclusions. Regarding the non-genotoxic effects of TeA, it was concluded with 98% certainty that the dietary exposure for all population groups would not exceed the Cramer Class III TTC. Genotoxicity was considered the critical effect of AOH, AME, ATX-I, ATX-II and STTX-III in long-living animals. In short-living animals, adverse effects for chickens for fattening exposed to AOH and AME were unlikely; risks for other species could not be characterised. Insufficient data precluded risk characterisation for ALT, ATX-I, ATX-II, STTX-III and TEN. Conservative dietary exposure of chickens to TeA was up to 10% of the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL).