In compliance with the EC/882/2004 Community Regulation, repealed in 2017 with the EU/2017/625 Regulation, the Italian Ministry of Health designated in 2007 the National Center for Food Quality and Food Risks now Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, as the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for mycotoxins in food and feed and in 2020 as the NRL for plant toxins.
The NRL for plant toxins was assigned to the ISS and to the IZS LER, giving each institution specific area competences.
The NRL carries out activities in accordance with art. 33 of the EC / 882/2004 Regulation, now art. 101 of EU / 2017/625 regulation, which provides for the appointment of an NRL for each Member State to support the activities of the Community reference laboratories (former CRL, now EURL) indicated in EC Regulation 776/2006 recently repealed by EU / 2018 Regulation / 192.
The EU Reference Laboratory for mycotoxins and plant toxins in feed and food was assigned to the Wageningen Food Safety Research (WUR) at the University of Wageningen (NL).
The National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for mycotoxins and plant toxins carries out institutional and research activities to address key issues within the field of risk assessment.
NRL staff participate as experts in national and international technical committees.
