EFSA assesses health risks linked to nicotine in wild mushrooms

EFSA evaluated the risks related to the presence of nicotine in fresh wild mushrooms up to 0.5 mg/kg and concluded that this level is not safe. Any effects of eating contaminated wild mushrooms are likely to be mild and would be short term, possibly including increased heart rate, dizziness and headaches. EFSA advised the Commission on risks associated with different levels of contamination in order to help risk managers decide on any appropriate follow-up action.

It is not clear what caused the presence of nicotine in these mushrooms; it could be pesticide Substance used to kill or control pests, including disease-carrying organisms and undesirable insects, animals and plants use or a number of other factors such as accidental contamination during the drying process.

To help risk managers establish safe levels protecting consumers, EFSA used existing agreed methodology for the setting of maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides in foods. EFSA proposed 0.036 mg/kg as the concentration of nicotine in fresh wild mushrooms that could be acceptable as an MRL The maximum amount of a pesticide residue allowed in foods or animal feeds, expressed as milligrams per kilogram[1].

As the assessment was affected by a number of uncertainties and limitations on data available (contamination levels and the consumption of wild mushrooms in Europe), EFSA recommended that the proposed MRL be considered on a temporary basis. The monitoring programme recommended by the Commission will also be useful for deriving a more robust basis for exposure assessment One of the key steps in risk assessment, this relates to a thorough evaluation of who, or what, has been exposed to a hazard and a quantification of the amounts involved and MRL setting.

•   Potential risks for public health due to the presence of nicotine in wild mushrooms