Farmers need to protect themselves from the implications of proposed ochratoxin A (OTA) standards by embracing new practices rather than fighting reasonable rules, says a senior researcher.
“We can make it work,” said Carleton University professor David Miller.
“We not only could catch up (to Europe, where OTA is harshly viewed), but we could get better.”
OTA is naturally present in grain in Ontario and on the Prairies, especially in Manitoba where it is warmer and wetter than the rest of the West. At high levels, it is a toxin with bad human health affects.
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European regulators have started imposing tough standards on OTA levels in wheat products, and Health Canada is considering standards for Canadian-consumed wheat.
Miller said there is no point arguing that OTA poses no problems and therefore should not be regulated. Recent research proves it can be a problem at high levels.
“That’s the end of the debate. It really has to be taken seriously,” he said.
However, Miller feels Health Canada’s proposed standards exaggerate the dangers of OTA at real world levels. He hopes new research and grain storage methods can alleviate concerns before they disrupt farmers and the grain industry.
He recommended three steps for the government and the grain industry to take in the next two years:
- Study what types of the fungus are present in Canadian grain. Certain types are worse than others and some pose little danger. The breakdown of OTA types hasn’t been studied for years but could be accomplished in months.
- Quickly study and implement optimal storage and handling methods. European farmers have already moved to reduce OTA in their stored grain, while British producers have proven levels can be reduced.
- Develop sampling tools to correctly identify OTA levels.
Miller said a longer-term need is to develop fast and accurate “game-changing analytical tools and methods” so that OTA doesn’t move from the farm into the grain handling system and cause serious problems when a customer rejects a big shipment.
“This is urgent.”
He said farmers should care about this issue because they are indirectly affected when their grain is rejected at the end of the chain.
These costs will become direct when quick tests are developed to assess individual farmers’ grain.
However, Miller is convinced farmers will embrace better storage methods that keep OTA levels below allowable maximums if they are given the necessary information.
“If we try a little harder, we won’t get it down to zero, but we’ll get it to go a lot down,” he said.
