European Commission’s JRC launches certified reference material to improve cereulide toxin detection in food

Developed in the JRC’s specialised material processing laboratories, the CRM is based on cooked rice, chosen because cereulide-related food-poisoning incidents frequently occur in starch-rich foods.

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) has launched a new certified reference material (CRM) designed to strengthen detection of cereulide toxin in food, improving protection against food poisoning.

The material, ERM®-BD300, will help food control laboratories across the EU and beyond ensure more reliable measurement of the toxin, particularly in starch-rich foods such as rice, pasta and potato dishes often linked to outbreaks.

Developed in the JRC’s specialised material processing laboratories, the CRM is based on cooked rice, chosen because cereulide-related food-poisoning incidents frequently occur in starch-rich foods. It contains a precisely determined concentration of cereulide, set below the level that causes symptoms in adults while remaining above the limit of quantification for analytical methods, enabling an accurate certified value.

The new material supports laboratories in verifying the correctness of their methods and validating analytical approaches for detecting, identifying and quantifying cereulide in line with ISO 18465, the international standard based on mass spectrometry. By helping laboratories demonstrate the accuracy of quantitative measurements, the CRM aims to improve testing reliability, strengthen food safety monitoring and enhance consumer protection.

Further technical details are outlined in the JRC Certified reference material report for cereulide toxin.

Ongoing risk from cereulide in food

Cereulide is produced by Bacillus cereus, a bacterium widely present in the environment. Under poor hygiene practices or inappropriate storage temperatures, the bacterium can release cereulide, which poses a risk to human health. The toxin is extremely heat resistant and difficult to destroy during food preparation. Even small amounts can trigger nausea and vomiting, usually mild and short-lived, although severe cases have resulted in liver failure, acute encephalopathy and death.

Food safety authorities are actively monitoring the risk. In 2023, eight EU countries and Norway reported several hundred food-poisoning outbreaks linked to Bacillus cereus toxins, affecting thousands of people and resulting in 101 hospitalisations and four deaths, according to the EU One Health 2023 Zoonoses report.

More recently, several manufacturers recalled batches of baby formula worldwide over concerns they might contain cereulide, highlighting the ongoing risk of contaminated ingredients entering manufactured products.

While national authorities remain responsible for enforcing EU food law through inspections and monitoring, the introduction of ERM®-BD300 provides laboratories with an important new tool to strengthen cereulide testing, improve measurement quality and further safeguard consumers across the global food chain.