Egypt, which rejected several wheat cargoes this year for fungus contamination, is set to instruct officials to follow international standards that permit a small amount of the fungus known as ergot in imports. The clarification is important because Egypt, the world’s top wheat buyer, has been hamstrung this year by a debate over whether to allow cargoes containing a tiny amount of the naturally occurring fungus. Earlier this year, the country turned away vessels of Canadian and Polish wheat because of traces of ergot, which can be toxic to humans in high amounts.
