About the legislation
The basic principles of EU legislation on contaminants in food are laid down in Council Regulation 315/93/EEC:
- 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 (EU) 2023/915. Maximum levels in certain foods are set for the following contaminants:
- mycotoxins (aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, fumonisins, citrinine, ergot sclerotia and ergot alkaloids)
- plant toxins (erucic acid, tropane alkaloids, hydrocyanic acid, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, opium alkaloids, Δ9-THC)
- metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, inorganic tin)
- halogenated persistent organic pollutants (dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs, non dioxin-like PCBs; perfluoroalkyl substances: PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS)
- processing contaminants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH): benzo(a)pyrene, sum of 4 PAHs; 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD), glycidyl fatty acid esters)
- other contaminants (nitrates, melamine, perchlorate)
Commission Recommendations
- Commission Recommendation (EU) 2024/907 of 22 March 2024 on the monitoring of nickel in food
- Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/1431 of 24 August 2022 on the monitoring of perfluoroalkyl substances in food
- Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/1342 of 28 July 2022 on the monitoring of mercury in fish, crustaceans and molluscs
- Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/561 of 6 April 2022 on monitoring the presence of glycoalkaloids in potatoes and potato-derived products
- Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/553 of 5 April 2022 on monitoring the presence of Alternaria toxins in food
- Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/495 of 25 March 2022 on monitoring the presence of furan and alkylfurans in food
- Commission Recommendation (EU) 2019/1888 of 7 November 2019 on the monitoring of the presence of acrylamide in certain foods
- Commission Recommendation (EU) 2017/84 of 16 January 2017 on the monitoring of mineral oil hydrocarbons in food and in materials and articles intended to come into contact with food
- Commission Recommendation (EU) 2016/688 of 2 May 2016 on the monitoring and management of the presence of dioxins and PCBs in fish and fishery products from the Baltic region
- Commission Recommendation (EU) 2016/22 of 7 January 2016 on the prevention and reduction of ethyl carbamate contamination in stone fruit spirits and stone fruit marc spirits, repealing Recommendation 2010/133/EU
- 2014/662/EU: Commission Recommendation of 10 September 2014 on good practices to prevent and to reduce the presence of opium alkaloids in poppy seeds and poppy seed products
- 2014/661/EU: Commission Recommendation of 10 September 2014 on the monitoring of the presence of 2 and 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (2 and 3-MCPD), 2- and 3-MCPD fatty acid esters and glycidyl fatty acid esters in food
- 2014/118/EU: Commission Recommendation of 3 March 2014 on the monitoring of traces of brominated flame retardants in food
- 2013/711/EU: Commission Recommendation of 3 December 2013 on the reduction of the presence of dioxins, furans and PCBs in feed and food
- 2013/165/EU: Commission Recommendation of 27 March 2013 on the presence of T-2 and HT-2 toxin in cereals and cereal products
- 2006/583/EC: Commission Recommendation of 17 August 2006 on the prevention and reduction of Fusarium toxins in cereals and cereal products
- 2003/598/EC: Commission Recommendation of 11 August 2003 on the prevention and reduction of patulin contamination in apple juice and apple juice ingredients in other beverages