Foodlaw-Reading Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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Food Law News - EU - 2016

Commission Food Safety News, 1 December 2016

IMPORTS - EU reviews the list of feed and food of non-animal origin subject to an increased level of official controls at the borders (25th review of Annex I to Regulation 669/2009)

Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 lays down rules concerning the increased level of official controls to be carried out at borders on imports of feed and food of non-animal origin listed in Annex I and also provides that this Annex should be reviewed regularly.

As a consequence of the improved results reported by Member States, the control frequency will be decreased for the following commodities: dragon fruit originating from Vietnam (from 20% to 10%) and pistachios originating from the United States (also from 20% to 10%).

Moreover, in light of the first results reported by Member States since the listing of this commodity in April 2016, an increase of the current control frequency (from 10% to 20%) was deemed appropriate for lemons originating from Turkey.

Concerning new listings, the following commodities will be included in Annex I:

• Pineapples (food) originating from Benin at a control frequency of physical and identity checks of 20% due to the possible occurrence of pesticide residues,
• Groundnuts and derived products (food and feed) originating from Bolivia at a control frequency of physical and identity checks of 50% due to their possible contamination with aflatoxins,
• Table grapes (food) originating from Egypt at a control frequency of physical and identity checks of 20% due to the possible occurrence of pesticide residues,
• Pomegranates (food) originating from Turkey at a control frequency of physical and identity checks of 20% due to the possible occurrence of pesticide residues,
• Aubergines (Solanum melongena) and ethiopian eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum) originating from Uganda at a control frequency of physical and identity checks of 20% due to the possible occurrence of pesticide residues, and
• Sesamum seeds (food) originating from Uganda at a control frequency of physical and identity checks of 50% due to their possible contamination with salmonella.

At the meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed on 7 November 2016, Member States endorsed the Commission's proposals to update Annex I to the Regulation by reflecting the abovementioned changes.

The amended Annex is expected to enter into force as of 1 January 2017.

For details, see: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/2107 of 1 December 2016 amending Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 as regards the list of feed and food of non-animal origin subject to an increased level of official controls on imports (OJ L327, 2.12.2016, page 50)