EU legislation concerning food contaminants is determined by Regulation and therefore automatically applicable and harmonised in all Member States.
Food safety is an important issue in EU food policy and legislation has been established in order to guarantee food safety. Within this framework the EU has set maximum levels for certain contaminants in specified products or product groups.
This document provides an outline of the contents and structure of EU legislation on contaminants in food and thus provides you with an overview of products and contaminants regulated in EU legislation. Note that all food products put on the EU market should comply with the limits in this legislation.
Publication date: February, 2007
The scope of contaminants is divided into seven different groups which are further divided into
subgroups as a group as a whole may not be relevant for one particular foodstuff. The
following groups of contaminants are included in the Regulation:
- Nitrates
- Mycotoxins (Aflatoxins, Ochratoxin A, Patulin, Fusarium mycotoxins: Deoxynivalenol
- (DON), Zearalenone, Fumonisins, T-2 and HT-2 toxins)
- Metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, inorganic tin)
- 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD)
- Dioxins and PCBs
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)