EFSA Finds Five Alternaria Toxins Genotoxic
The European Food Safety Authority updated its risk assessment of Alternaria toxins found in food and feed.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Nutrition
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The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that five of eight assessed Alternaria toxins are genotoxic. The toxins include alternariol, alternariol monomethyl ether, altertoxin I, altertoxin II, and stemphyltoxin III.
Why it matters
Alternaria toxins are produced by molds that contaminate many common foods, so the findings inform how regulators and consumers view dietary exposure. The assessment also highlights remaining data gaps that limit firm conclusions about some toxins.
This scientific risk assessment covers eight Alternaria toxins, with five concluded genotoxic. Data remain insufficient to determine whether tenuazonic acid, the most frequently found toxin in food, is genotoxic.
The players
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
EFSA is the European Union agency that provides independent scientific advice on risks in the food and feed chain, including assessments of naturally occurring contaminants.
The details
Tenuazonic acid was detected most often in mulberries, paprika powder, and tomatoes. Estimated dietary exposure to altenuene and tentoxin was well below levels at which adverse health effects might occur, and cereal-based foods, fruit products, tomatoes, vegetables, and olive and sunflower oils contributed most to exposure.
Timeline
November 11, 2026: EFSA published its updated Alternaria toxins risk assessment.
Health Landscape
This update extends EFSA's ongoing scientific review of food contaminants by applying genotoxicity conclusions to a new group of Alternaria toxins. It shows how regulators are moving from single-toxin assessments toward evaluating whole families of fungal compounds found in everyday foods.
Five of the eight toxins are genotoxic, so the assessment points to reducing dietary exposure to Alternaria-contaminated foods like tomatoes, paprika, and mulberries. EFSA's recommendation for more research means current guidance may change as new data arrive.
The takeaway
Mold toxins in everyday produce and grains are now better characterized, but EFSA is still calling for more data before final judgments on every compound. Readers can reduce exposure by varying diets and following food-safety storage guidance.
Further reading
Explore more Nutrition coverage for context on food safety and dietary exposure to contaminants.
More information
Read the full EFSA Alternaria toxins risk assessment update on the European Food Safety Authority website.
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