Maximum Limits (MRLs) for contaminants
Unlike pesticides and veterinary drugs, the presence of contaminants in food products is not always avoidable. Contaminants can be of natural or man-made origin. Examples of contaminants are dioxins, PCBs, mycotoxins and heavy metals. Limits for contaminants in food are usually set out of food safety concerns and are in most cases As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) .
A lot of countries do have their own limits for some contaminants, like for heavy metals and mycotoxins (like aflatoxins) in specified foodstuffs. Other countries refer to the maximum limits (MLs) for contaminants that were established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
When searching for ML legislation per country on the internet it became apparent that some countries or communities prefer to establish horizontal legislation on contaminants (like the European Community, almost all MLs set for contaminants in specified foodstuffs can be found in one EC Regulation) while others prefer vertical legislation. The latter meaning that MLs are mentioned in Food Standards for specific foodstuffs.
Maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs in the EU
or certain substances, man-made and natural, maximum levels are set in certain foodstuffs. The basic principles used in setting these levels are set by Council Regulation (EEC) 315/93. The scientific panel on contaminants in the food chain (CONTAM) of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) advises the EU on levels to be set. Their opinions on specific contaminants can be found at the EFSA website (http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/science.html ).
Commission Regulation (EC) 1881/2006 contains in the annexes the maximum limits set thus far in the EU for:
- mycotoxins (aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, fumonisins, T2 and HT-2-toxin)
- metals (cadmium, lead, mercury and inorganic tin)
- dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs
- 3-MCPD
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benz(o)pyrene).
Regulation (EC) 1881/2006 can be obtained as a pdf-file at the Eur-lex website, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/nl/index.htm . To obtain the regulation click on ‘simple search’ then on ‘natural number’, and enter the year (2006) and the number (1881).
The limits apply to the food products mentioned in the regulation. For mercury for example, limits are only set for fishery products. For other products, like vegetables, mercury limits are missing. For substance-product combinations not mentioned in Regulation (EC) 1881/2006, Regulation (EC) 178/2002 applies that prohibits the placing on the EU market of unsafe food.
Limits for chemicals in EU legislation other than EC/1881/2006
For some natural and man-made chemicals EU maximum limits are mentioned in legislative texts other than EC/1881/2006. These substances and the legislative texts in which limits are mentioned are:
- marine biotoxins (PSP, ASP, akadaic acid, dinophysistoxins and pectenotoxins, yessotoxins, and azaspiracids) – Regulation (EC) 853/2004 and amendments
- erucic acid – Directive 76/621/EEC and amendments
- residues of extraction solvents – Directive 88/344/EEC and amendments
- vinyl chloride monomer – Directive 78/142/EEC and amendments
- migration limits for substances coming into contact with food – Directive 2002/72/EC and amendments
The regulations and directives can be found as pdf-files at the Eur-lex website, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/nl/index.htm . To obtain the consolidated versions click on ‘simple search’ then on ‘consolidated text’, and enter the year (xxxx) and the number of the regulation respectively the directive.
Note that regulations are applicable as such in all member states of the EU, directives have to be implemented in national legislation before being enforceable.
Furthermore several member states have additional limits in their national legislation for substances other than mentioned above, like the Netherlands for non-dioxin like PCBs and Ireland for arsenic. These national limits are not readily available.
Updated on 18-03-2009