Mycotoxin concern
Italy blocked a batch of red yeast rice supplements from China after they were found to contain a too high level of the mycotoxin citrinin, a toxic substance produced by a fungus which it said presented a “serious” health risk.
Citrinin is nephrotoxic meaning it is can damage the kidneys.
Back in 2012, a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) opinion quoted a ‘no-observed adverse-effect level’ (NOAEL) of 20 micrograms (µg) per kg body weight (bw) per day seen in a 90-day study in rats.
However due to data uncertainties it was unable to establish a health-based guidance value but instead set a level of no concern for nephrotoxicity of 0.2 µg/kg bw per day.
It added: “Based on the available data a concern for genotoxicity and carcinogenicity could not be excluded at the level of no concern for nephrotoxicity.”
The red yeast rice supplements sometimes used to curb high cholesterol contained 9745.3 µg/kg –parts per billion(ppb) of citrinin.
