FSA Letter (OCR 087), 1 July 2011

OFFICIAL CONTROLS - Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 (as amended) Implementing Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 as Regards the Increased Level of Official Controls on Imports of Certain Feed and Food of Non-Animal Origin (Non-POAO)

A copy of the draft Commission Proposal is available on this site. See: Commission Proposal for amendments to the official control requirements for Non-POAO imports

I am writing to update you on developments regarding review of Annex I to Regulation 669/2009.

The Commission is hoping to present a proposed draft Commission Regulation amending Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 to the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH) on 5-6 July 2011 and has consulted Member States by e-mail. The draft Regulation, which is likely to apply from October 2011, is attached and is currently under consultation with other Commission services (including Legal Services) and may be subject to minor changes.

The main proposed changes to the list of products at Annex I, are outlined below:

Aflatoxins controls

• de-listing of basmati rice from Pakistan.

New entries:

• hazelnuts (feed and food) arriving from Azerbaijan – frequency of identity/ physical checks 10% (Aflatoxins)
• pomelos arriving from China – frequency of identity/ physical checks 20% (Pesticide residues)
• tea leaves (black and green tea) arriving from China – frequency of identity/ physical checks 10% (Pesticide residues)
• peppers arriving from Egypt – frequency of identity/ physical checks 10% (Pesticide residues)
• feed additives and pre-mixtures arriving from India – frequency of identity/ physical checks 10% (lead and cadmium)).

There are some more details of what the Commission proposes some of these foods should be tested for in footnotes 10-12 of Annex 1 of the Draft Regulation.