Regulation 2010/165 - Amendment of Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs as regards aflatoxins - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 50/8

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs (2) sets maximum levels for aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin total (aflatoxin B1 + G1 + B2 + G2) in a range of foodstuffs.

It is necessary to amend certain maximum levels for aflatoxins in certain foodstuffs to take into account developments in Codex Alimentarius and new information contained in recent scientific advice.

Codex Alimentarius established a level of 15 μg/kg aflatoxin total in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios intended for further processing and a level of 10 μg/kg aflatoxin total in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios ‘ready-to-eat’ (3).

The Scientific Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (Contam Panel) of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) adopted on 25 January 2007 an opinion on the potential increase of consumer health risk by a possible increase of the existing maximum levels for aflatoxins in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios and derived products (4). The Contam Panel concluded that changing the maximum levels for total aflatoxins from 4 to 8 or 10 μg/kg in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios would have minor effects on the estimates of dietary exposure, cancer risk and the calculated margins of exposure (MOEs). The Panel furthermore concluded that exposure to aflatoxins from all sources should be as low as reasonably achievable, because aflatoxins are genotoxic and carcinogenic. The data indicate that reduction of total dietary exposure to aflatoxins could be achieved by reducing the number of highly contaminated foods reaching the market through more effective enforcement and reducing exposure from food sources other than almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios.

The Contam Panel adopted on 16 June 2009 a statement on the effects on public health of an increase of the levels for aflatoxin total from 4 μg/kg to 10 μg/kg for tree nuts other than almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios (5). The Panel concluded that based on the information which was available in 2007 public health would not be adversely affected by increasing the levels for total aflatoxins from 4 μg/kg to 10 μg/kg for other tree nuts, including Brazil nuts. Given the current discussions in Codex Alimentarius on the maximum levels for aflatoxins in Brazil nuts, it is appropriate to align the level for aflatoxins in Brazil nuts with the Codex level for almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios.

Codex Alimentarius established only a maximum level for aflatoxin total. The corresponding aflatoxin B1 level was determined by making use of the database on occurrence of aflatoxins in food used by EFSA for the exposure assessment.

In the EFSA opinion on aflatoxins it is observed that oilseeds and derived products are an important contributor to the human aflatoxin exposure. EFSA concluded that exposure to aflatoxins from all sources should be as low as reasonably achievable. Furthermore, notifications in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) indicate high levels of aflatoxins in oilseeds such as sunflower seeds, melon seeds etc. It is therefore proposed to also set a maximum level for oilseeds other than groundnuts (peanuts), in line with the existing maximum levels...