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The basic principles of EU legislation on contaminants in food are in Council Regulation 315/93/EEC of 8 February 1993 :

  • food containing a contaminant to an amount unacceptable from the public health viewpoint and in particular at a toxicological level, shall not be placed on the market

  • contaminant levels shall be kept as low as can reasonably be achieved following recommended good working practices

  • maximum levels must be set for certain contaminants in order to protect public health

Maximum levels for certain contaminants in food are set in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006. This Regulation entered into force on 1 March 2007. Maximum levels in certain foods are set for the following contaminants: nitrate, mycotoxins (aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, fumonisins), metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, inorganic tin), 3-MCPD, dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzo(a)pyrene).

 
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Last Update : 23-08-2010