A total of 1 259 samples of cereal grains, cereal products, beer and nuts were analysed for the presence of the mycotoxin sterigmatocystin. Samples were mainly collected at processing plants, storage facilities, wholesale and retail between August 2013 and November 2014, in nine European countries (mostly Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (UK), additionally in Cyprus, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland). The products originated from 27 European countries and 18 other countries (mostly rice and nuts). The samples comprised cereal grains (221 wheat, 35 rye, 33 maize, 59 barley, 51 oats, 2 spelt, 117 rice), grain milling products (125), pasta (115), bread/rolls (143), breakfast cereals/muesli (97), fine bakery ware (90), cereal-based infant food (54), beer (53), peanuts (28) and hazelnuts (36). All samples were analysed by methods based on liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The limit of quantification, defined as the lowest validated level, was 0.5 µg/kg and the limit of detection (LOD) was in the range 0.05-0.15 µg/kg (0.005-0.01 µg/kg for beer). Overall, sterigmatocystin was identified in 10 % of the samples. More than 50 % of the contaminated samples contained levels between LOD and 0.5 µg/kg. In the other cases levels were all in the range 0.5-6 µg/kg with one exception (33 µg/kg in oats). Rice and oats were identified as the cereals most prone to sterigmatocystin contamination (virtually all unprocessed rice samples (all from Europe), 21 % of the processed rice samples, 22 % of the oats grains). In cereal products, levels were typically lower than in grains. The highest incidence was in breakfast cereals/muesli (19 %) while for the other cereal products the detection rate was 5-7 %. In the contaminated cereal products, rice and oats were often present as ingredients. For beer and nuts, none of the samples were found to be contaminated with sterigmatocystin. DISCLAIMERThe present document has been produced and adopted by the bodies identified above as author(s). In accordance with Article 36 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, this task has been carried out exclusively by the author(s) in the context of a grant agreement between the European Food Safety Authority and the author(s). The present document is published complying with the transparency principle to which the Authority is subject. It cannot be considered as an output adopted by the Authority. The European Food Safety Authority reserves its rights, view and position as regards the issues addressed and the conclusions reached in the present document, without prejudice to the rights of the authors. The present document has been produced and adopted by the bodies identified above as author(s). In accordance with Article 36 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, this task has been carried out exclusively by the author(s) in the context of a grant agreement between the European Food Safety Authority and the author(s). The present document is published complying with the transparency principle to which the A...