FSA Letter, 15 March 2010

CONTAMINANTS - Food Contaminants – FSA Update Bulletin March 2010

The following subjects have been covered in the letter from the FSA. A copy of the letter is available on this site. See: Contaminants Update Letter - March 2010

Changes

Work on contaminants in food.

Food Contact Materials and Articles

• Commission Working Group
• Consultations on The Materials and Articles in Contact with Food Regulations 2010 for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
• The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
• Research Reports Published

Environmental Contaminants

Inorganic

• Cadmium in various foodstuffs
• Cadmium in crab
• Arsenic in various foodstuffs
• Summary of request for data on cadmium

Organic

• Dioxins and dioxins-like PCBS
  • Guar gum from India
  • Limit in Liver
  • Review of dioxins and dioxin‐like PCB limits
  • Non dioxin‐like PCBs
  • Non dioxins‐like PCB limit on food – current proposals
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
  • Summary of call for data

Process Contaminants

• Acrylamide
• -3-MCPD Esters
• Other Process Contaminants Issues

Mycotoxins

• Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 amendments as regards ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxins
• Commission Regulation (EC) 1152/2009 replacing Commission Decision No. 2006/504/EC and additional control measures
• Amendment of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 401/2006
• Aflatoxin Controls guidance
• New – emerging mycotoxins
• Ergot alkaloids in feed and food
• T2 & HT2 limits
• Nivalenol
• European Commission Fusarium Forum 1 - 2 February 2010

Forward Evidence Plan 2010

• http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/evidenceplan10.pdf