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Introduction The aim of socio-economic research in the MoniQA Network of Excellence is to develop a toolbox to support impact assessment of proposed food safety regulatory changes. Objectives The scope of this contribution is to present an initial version of such a toolbox with its application to a case study, which concerns a proposal on setting maximum levels of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in cereals and cereal products. A regulatory proposal of ‘strict’ maximum limits is compared with two alternative options: the ‘do nothing’ option and the ‘soft’ regulatory option. Methods The proposed toolbox involves a preliminary qualitative assessment of the likely impacts of each of the policy options considered, with a coding/ scoring procedure, in order to identify the greatest impacts. A feasibility filter subsequently considers the availability of data necessary for impact quantification. The subsequent quantitative assessment is performed with different methodologies for the most important impacts. Finally, a multi-criteria analysis approach – which allows for a combination of qualitative and quantitative measurements – is used to arrive at a ranking of policy options. Results The outcome of this assessment exercise is that the ‘do nothing’ option is clearly the most preferable option, and, between the two regulatory options (options 2 and 3), the setting out of ‘strict’ maximum limits is preferable to ‘soft’ maximum limits. Conclusion This case study shows the potentialities of the toolbox as support to policy makers, which will be improved and tested with additional case studies in the remaining years of the MoniQA Network of Excellence.

Introduction The occurrence of major Fusarium toxins in maize samples collected in the Black Sea region of Turkey and fate of these toxins during traditional Turkish maize bread production was investigated. Materials and methods Twenty maize samples were analysed for deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, fumonisins, T-2 and HT-2 toxins. Contamination profiles of maize samples were determined in order to choose the toxins to be monitored during bread production. Breads were produced from low or uncontaminated maize samples and from the mixture of highly contaminated ones. After baking, crust and crumb of the breads were separated and analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography standard methods with ultraviolet or fluorescence detection. Results and conclusions In total, toxin levels in 30% of the maize samples were found to be higher than the limits established by the European Union. After bread processing no significant reduction of deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and fumonisins was measured in the bread crust and crumb. According to the mass balance of mycotoxins measured in maize flour and relevant maize bread only 2.1%, 0.1% and 3.1% of the total initial amounts of deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and fumonisins, respectively, were lost. Breads were not analysed for T-2 and HT-2 as their levels in maize were quite low (o50mgkg 1 ).

Food chemical contaminants are chemicals that are not normally found in a particular food, their ingredients or the original raw material. Their presence is only acceptable when the levels that they occur at do not compromise public safety and are unavoidable after exercise of best practice. Mycotoxins, the toxic metabolites of certain filamentous fungi, are one group of contaminants and specific legislation, regulating permitted levels of contamination exists for a number of mycotoxin/food combinations. In many cases there is now considerable knowledge not only of the conditions conducive to their formation but also of the mechanisms that need to be in place to prevent or limit their occurrence. In a number of cases this knowledge has been converted into guidelines or other strategies, which both farmers and the food industry have adopted. Assessing levels of compliance and efficacy of these measures is achieved through appropriate audit/inspection and chemical-analytical regimes.