Advice of the Scientific Committee of the Belgian Food Safety Agency on a proposition of action limit for nicotine in cultivated mushrooms

The Scientific Committee was asked to set an action limit for the nicotine content in cultivated 
mushrooms which guarantees the safety of the consumers. 
The Scientific Committee is of the opinion that a provisional action limit equal to 0,04 mg/kg, a 
value equivalent to the temporary MRL established for wild mushrooms, can be applied. This 
action limit ensures the safety of consumers. 
Endogenous synthesis of nicotine in mushrooms could not be demonstrated after reviewing 
the scientific literature. 
The results of the analysis of different matrices used in the cultivation of mushrooms suggest 
a contamination of organic growing substrates. Indeed, no scientific evidence could be found 
in the literature on the uptake and bioaccumulation of nicotine by mushrooms from a with 
nicotine contaminated growing substrate.