Oat products warning

More than half of breakfast cereals and muesli bars made with oats are contaminated with traces of toxins, scientists have found.

Their study of 335 brand-name products such as Kellogg's, Nestle's and Quaker detected traces of mycotoxins.

In large quantities, such substances can lead to sickness, diarrhoea and in extreme cases death.

Researchers from the Food Standards Agency found three different types of mycotoxins in 174 samples.

The agency says the levels recorded are minimal and not considered a health risk for adults who follow a varied, balanced diet.

However, in 21 products the toxic levels exceeded proposed EU safety limits designed to protect infants and children aged three and under.

The findings have alarmed food campaigners, who say many parents feed their babies oat-based cereals from an early age.

Kath Dalmeny, spokesman for The Food Commission, said: 'Many of these foods are popular with children. It is not enough to fob people off with the idea it is perfectly safe and we should not worry. Manufacturers can and should do more to reduce the levels seen in foods.'

Mycotoxins are linked to fungus which grows naturally on plants. They are from a group called trichothecenes, which can cause sickness and even death in large quantities, according to the FSA.

It says consuming lower levels over many years has been reported to harm the immune system and damage an unborn baby.

But it says the levels found in its study of products - which included Kellogg's Honey Loops, Nestle's Cheerios, Quaker Harvest Crunch- Oat Clusters with real red berries and Boots Organic Creamy Porridge - would not cause concern in terms of a normal weekly diet.

It added: 'The survey does not raise any safety concerns about oat products on sale to the public and so consumers do not need to change their diets as a result.'

The Food & Drink Federation claimed the agency had given its members a clean bill of health. But a spokesman admitted mycotoxin contamination was a problem the industry was trying to eradicate.

A spokesman for Boots said: 'We are not taking this lightly. That said, we are absolutely happy this product is safe.'

Cereal Partners UK, which makes Cheerios, said it would review the findings 'as a matter of urgency'. Kellogg's said the survey 'did not raise any significant concerns'.