Food Law News - EU - 2000

12 January 2000: CONTAMINANTS - European Commission (EC) Draft Regulation Setting Maximum Levels For Certain Contaminants in Foodstuffs


Scottish Executive Letter, 12 January 2000

European Commission (EC) Draft Regulation Setting Maximum Levels For Certain Contaminants in Foodstuffs

Draft Commission Regulation (ENTR/5799/99 - rev 2) setting limits for lead, cadmium and other contaminants in food was discussed at a meeting held on 17 December. Although all Member States reserved their final positions pending detailed consideration of the proposal, a number of changes to the limits were agreed. It was also agreed to defer consideration of dioxins and PCBs until the results of two current risk assessments are available later this year. A revised Annex I to the draft Regulation which incorporates these changes has recently been received.

The limits for both lead and cadmium are now more in line with those proposed in draft CODEX standards, the current versions of which are yet to be circulated. A significant change is the exclusion of brown crab meat from limits for cadmium, under category 7, as requested by the UK. Since this draft was received, the Swedish National Food Administration has requested the inclusion of two more fish species in Annex I, section 11.3, 1.1 (max level for mercury: 1 m/kg). These are: Escolar (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum) and Oilfish (Ruvettus pretiosus).

The proposed maximum limit for 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) in dark beer has been deleted as it was concluded that there were currently insufficient data to justify setting a specific limit.

Comments were requested by 26 January.

The following tables are taken from the draft Annex provided in the letter:





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