Food and Environmental Protection
The Food and Environmental Protection Section of the Joint Programme and its associated Agrochemicals Unit of the FAO/IAEA
FAO/IAEA Agricultural and Biotechnology
Laboratory in Seibersdorf provide assistance and support to countries in their efforts to ensure the safety and quality of food and
agricultural commodities while at the same time facilitating international trade. Our activities primarily focus on strengthening Member
State capacities for the application of international standards on irradiation as well as on the use
of nuclear and related analytical technologies and capacity building in the management of food and environmental hazards.
These efforts are based on a coordinated and comprehensive “farm to fork” approach to food production systems that ensure the
application of good agricultural practices throughout the food chain.
Colombian Pesticide Residues Analysis Laboratory tackles agrochemical issues.
The Pesticide Residues Analysis Laboratory (LARP) of the Chemistry Department at Universidad Nacional de Colombia obtains international recognition and addresses agrochemical misuse in Colombia. 
Sampling Procedures to Detect Mycotoxins in Agricultural Commodities.
Adherence to regulatory limits for mycotoxins in agricultural commodities is important to safeguard consumers and to permit trade in affected commodities across international borders. Reliable estimates of
mycotoxin concentrations are required to implement regulatory decisions on the suitability of lots of produce for consumption or trade. 
Collaboration with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has asked the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture of the International Atomic Energy Agency to cooperate in helping to expand EFSA’s database of scientific experts.
The Food and Environmental Protection subprogramme has several direct collaborations with EFSA, for example through the provision of expert advice to the BIOHAZ and CEF panels. 
Fumonisins: From Technical Cooperation to International Standards.
Fumonisins, along with aflatoxins, are the major mycotoxins of international health concern. They are unique among the mycotoxins in being almost exclusively contaminants of maize, particularly when grown in warmer
regions. Maize is a major human dietary staple that has been in the diet of Nigeria and the African region for centuries.