First draft statement on the potential risk from citrinin in the maternal diet

This is a paper for discussion. This does not represent the views of the Committee and should not be cited.

Introduction

1.               The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) last considered maternal diet and nutrition in relation to offspring health, in its reports on ‘The influence of maternal, foetal and child nutrition on the development of chronic disease in later life’ (SACN, 2011) and on ‘Feeding in the first year of life’ (SACN, 2018). In the latter report, the impact of breastfeeding on maternal health was also considered. In 2019, SACN agreed to conduct a risk assessment on nutrition and maternal health focusing on maternal outcomes during pregnancy, childbirth and up to 24 months after delivery; this would include the effects of chemical contaminants and excess nutrients in the diet.

2.               SACN agreed that, where appropriate, other expert Committees would be consulted and asked to complete relevant risk assessments e.g., in the area of food safety advice. This subject was initially discussed during the Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) horizon scanning item at their January 2020 meeting with a scoping paper being presented to the COT in July 2020. This included background information on a provisional list of chemicals proposed by SACN. It was noted that the provisional list of chemicals was subject to change following discussion by COT who would be guiding the toxicological risk assessment process: candidate chemicals or chemical classes can be added or removed as the COT considered appropriate. The list was brought back to the COT with additional information in September 2020. Following a discussion at the September 2020 meeting, COT agreed that papers on a number of compounds should be prioritised, which included the mycotoxin citrinin.

3.               The COT considered the discussion paper on citrinin in the maternal diet (TOX-2024-39) at the October 2024 meeting. At this meeting the Committee requested the addition of any immunotoxicity studies published since 2012.

4.               The following paper provides the advice of the COT on whether exposure to citrinin would pose a risk to maternal health. The draft statement (Annex A) includes the COT conclusions on the potential risk in the maternal diet. Studies on the immunotoxicity of CIT published since the last EFSA opinion (2012) were requested by the Committee at the October 2024 meeting and are included as Annex B and have been summarised in the draft statement. Members will recall that this item (as TOX/2025/16) was scheduled for the March 2025 COT meeting but was not discussed due to lack of time. This version of the statement has been revised to address comments received by correspondence after the March 2025 meeting

Questions on which the views of the Committee are sought

5.               Members are invited to consider the following questions.

1. Do the Committee have any comments on the content and structure of this statement?
2. Do the Committee have any other comments?

COT Secretariat

July 2025