Decision 2008/433 - 2008/433/EC: Commission Decision of 10 June 2008 imposing special conditions governing the import of sunflower oil from or consigned from Ukraine due to contamination risks by mineral oil (notified under document number C(2008) 2709) - Main contents
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official title
2008/433/EC: Commission Decision of 10 June 2008 imposing special conditions governing the import of sunflower oil originating in or consigned from Ukraine due to contamination risks by mineral oil (notified under document number C(2008) 2709)| Legal instrument | Decision |
|---|---|
| Number legal act | Decision 2008/433 |
| CELEX number i | 32008D0433 |
| Document | 10-06-2008 |
|---|---|
| Publication in Official Journal | 11-06-2008; OJ L 151 p. 55-56 |
| Effect | 10-06-2008; Takes effect Date notif. |
| End of validity | 31-12-2009; Repealed by 32009R1151 |
| Notification | 10-06-2008 |
11.6.2008 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
L 151/55 |
COMMISSION DECISION
of 10 June 2008
imposing special conditions governing the import of sunflower oil originating in or consigned from Ukraine due to contamination risks by mineral oil
(notified under document number C(2008) 2709)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2008/433/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety (1), and in particular Article 53(2), second subparagraph, thereof,
Whereas:
(1) |
The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) has been notified on 23 April 2008 that sunflower oil originating from Ukraine was found contaminated with high levels of mineral oil. This contamination by mineral oil was later confirmed in several consignments of crude sunflower oil originating from Ukraine imported in recent months in the Community. Sunflower oil containing high levels of mineral oil is unfit for human consumption and therefore deemed to be unsafe. The source of contamination is not yet known. |
(2) |
The European Commission has repeatedly urged the Ukrainian authorities to provide information on the origin of the contamination and on the measures taken to prevent it in future. Assurances were also sought from the Ukrainian authorities as to the establishment of effective measures aimed at guaranteeing the appropriate sampling and analysis on the presence of mineral oil in consignments of sunflower oil leaving Ukraine with destination the European Community. |
(3) |
Investigations aimed at identifying the source of contamination are ongoing in Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities also committed to the establishment of an appropriate control system that will ensure that all consignments of sunflower oil to be exported to the European Union are certified as not containing levels of mineral oil making the sunflower oil unfit for human consumption. However, the details of this control system have still to be provided to the Commission. The Commission should assess the control and certification system in order to verify the accuracy and the reliability to guarantee that the sunflower oil exported to the Community does not contain levels of mineral oil, making the sunflower oil unfit for human consumption. It has to be ensured that no exports of sunflower oil to the Community will take place until such control and certification system is put in place and assessed and accepted by the Commission. The assessment of the control and certification system will be performed on the basis of detailed information provided by the Ukrainian authorities. |
(4) |
After a request from the European Commission for an assessment of the risks related to the contamination of sunflower oil with mineral oil, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a statement on the contamination of sunflower oil with mineral oil exported from Ukraine. The statement refers to assessments performed by the joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) indicating the different level of toxicity depending of the type of mineral oil. EFSA concluded that the available analytical data for the contaminated sunflower oil from Ukraine indicated that the mineral oil present was of high viscosity. Based upon exposure estimates, EFSA concluded that the exposure of sunflower oil contaminated with high viscosity mineral oil, although being undesirable for human consumption, would not be of public health concern in this case. Given that the source of contamination has not yet been identified with certainty, there is the presumption of risk... |
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