Strict measures in place to control fungal toxins in
pistachios, Iran reassures EU

The Iranian Ministry of Agriculture reassured the European
Union that all its pistachios are undergoing strict regulations to make sure
they are safe for human consumption.

“We have put in strict control
measures to ensure that health standards and requirements are met with respect
to the prevention of aflatoxin contamination [in pistachios],” Mohammad-Mehdi
Boroumandi, the country’s deputy agriculture minister for the horticulture
affairs, said in a recent vide conference with members of the EU Health
Commission.

He added that efforts to mitigate the problem includes staff
training, guidance documents, and standards to promote the prevention of
aflatoxin contamination in primary production and processing.

We are working on stricter measures to control and contain
fungal toxins and also make sure that pistachios are produced in a healthy way,
Boroumandi said.

Aflatoxins are poisonous carcinogens, produced by certain
fungi and found in grains and nuts. People can be exposed to aflatoxins by
eating contaminated plant products (such as peanuts) or by consuming meat or
dairy products from animals that ate contaminated feed. Farmers and other
agricultural workers may be exposed by inhaling dust generated during the
handling and processing of contaminated crops and feeds. Exposure to aflatoxins
is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer.