Aflatoxins found in soybean flour from Serbia in Luxembourg

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

Luxembourg has issued a warning due to the presence of aflatoxins in soybean flour originating from Serbia, it was published on the online platform European Rapid Alert System for Food RASFF.

The information was published within this system on August 1, and it is stated that through internal control it was discovered that the flour contained 2.9 micrograms of aflatoxin per kilogram, which represents a “serious” risk to human health.

Aflatoxins are a group of natural toxic metabolic products of the fungus Aspergillus Flavus, which produces toxins under favorable conditions of moisture and heat, multiplying primarily in plant crops, such as wheat, corn, soybeans, walnuts, according to the website of the Leskovac Public Health Institute.

In larger quantities, aflatoxins are dangerous to human health, especially the liver and gastrointestinal tract.

Last month, the RASFF platform published two warnings about a serious risk in products from Serbia.

First, in early July, RASFF warned about the presence of the bacteria listeria in fish products.

Then, on July 10, this European Union platform announced that the hepatitis A virus (also known as dirty hands disease) was found in mixed berries from Serbia.

During 2025, EU countries reported 19 cases of unsafe food claimed to have arrived from Serbia through the RASFF system.

Since 2020, 103 cases have been reported.

Several reports this year relate to the presence of aflatoxin, mainly in soy products.

Since 2013, Serbia has been able to receive notifications about questionable food imported into Serbia from the EU or exported from Serbia through the RASFFF system.