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Integrated Approach to Food Quality

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Catherine Brabet
Integrated Approach to Food Quality Joint Research Unit (QUALISUD)
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Brazil nuts: resuming exports to Europe

05/05/2009 - Article

The year 2000 sounded the death knell for unshelled Brazil nut exports to Europe. The reason was that aflatoxin levels in the nuts exceeded the figures laid down in EU food safety law. A project coordinated by CIRAD has identified the points to be looked at in order to resume exports to the EU.

Between 2000 and 2004, Brazilian exports of unshelled Brazil nuts, primarily to the EU, fell by almost 90%. The reason was the stepping up, in 1999, of EU legislation, involving a cut in authorized aflatoxin levels. These toxins, which are known to have carcinogenic effects in humans, are produced by moulds that contaminate the nuts. Moreover, in 2003, the EU imposed systematic controls of deliveries from Brazil, which were either sent back or destroyed if they were not satisfactory. There is only one way of reconquering the European market: preventing and controlling aflatoxin production. The Safenut project, funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) and coordinated by CIRAD, has identified the critical points in the growth of these fungi and in aflatoxin development at each stage of the current supply chains. It has also made recommendations as regards good production practice.
Effective nut drying after collection in the forest, and reduced storage times
The project was conducted in Brazil, in two supply chains in the main nut producing and exporting States: Acre and Pará, respectively western and eastern Amazonia. Researchers assessed the efficacy of the techniques currently used to control aflatoxin levels. They analysed every stage of the supply chain, from nut collection at the foot of the tree in the forest to the industrial stage, where the dried, selected unshelled nuts are prepared for export. The analysis revealed that the current high aflatoxin levels stem from insufficient nut drying followed by several months' storage in producer communities in the forest before transfer to processing sites. The techniques used–sun-drying or natural air circulation–result in moisture contents that are ideal for aflatoxin production during storage. Until that stage, aflatoxin levels are generally below the maximum imposed by the EU. In subsequent stages, during processing, the unshelled nuts are already severely contaminated, and the various selection operations are not enough to reduce aflatoxin levels (the nuts have to be shelled).
How can the system be improved? Researchers suggested to producers that they test simple dryers suitable for conditions in Amazonia, which would dry the nuts effectively after collection. Storage times also need to be cut. The other solution is to transfer the nuts to processing sites, where they can be dried effectively, within 10 to 30 days of collection. Moreover, "the production zones are some distance from the industrial centres, and often difficult to get to ", as Catherine Brabet, project coordinator at CIRAD, points out. It is therefore important to choose zones near processing sites, which will be devoted to producing nuts for export to Europe. The researchers also developed statistical models to predict aflatoxin production as a function of environmental and ecological factors.
Proposals shared and discussed with players in the supply chain
The Safenut project also served to validate an aflatoxin level analysis method that is rapid, reliable, cheap and easy for industrialists to use. "The method has to be suitable for use by players in the supply chain throughout the production process ", says Catherine Brabet. "Rather than a single check on the end product, this will allow them to decide what to do with and how to process nut batches at any stage of the chain ". Brazilian, and also Bolivian and Peruvian industrialists have been trained in the method. Like producers, they have also been made aware of what constitutes good production practice. "These training courses were an integral part of the project ", Catherine Brabet stresses. "They enabled us to disseminate and discuss the proposals made by the researchers ". Furthermore, the project's final workshop enabled European Commission representatives to understand the complexity of the supply chain and the problem of aflatoxin contamination better, with a view to taking another look at the issues relating to the nut trade in future.
Lastly, based on these results, the Codex committee on food contaminants proposed revising the Codex Alimentarius guide to good practice, taking account of the Safenut project's recommendations. In particular, the guide had suggested until now drying nuts in the sun or by natural air circulation. As the project has shown, this recommendation is not sufficient.

The Safenut project was funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) for a period of two and a half years (June 2006 – Nov. 2008).