Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1006 of 25 June 2015 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of inorganic arsenic in foodstuffs (Text with EEA relevance)

• Published date: 26 June 2015
• Subject Matter: Foodstuffs
• Official Gazette Publication: Official Journal of the European Union, L 161, 26 June 2015

26.6.2015 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 161/14

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COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2015/1006

of 25 June 2015

amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of inorganic arsenic in foodstuffs

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 315/93 of 8 February 1993 laying down Community procedures for contaminants in food (1), and in particular Article 2(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 (2) sets maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs.

(2) The Scientific Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM Panel) of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) adopted an opinion on arsenic in food (3) on 12 October 2009. In this opinion, CONTAM Panel concluded that the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of 15 μg/kg body weight established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) is no longer appropriate as data had shown that inorganic arsenic causes cancer of the lung and urinary bladder in addition to skin, and that a range of adverse effects had been reported at exposures lower than those reviewed by the JECFA.

(3) CONTAM Panel identified a range of benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL01) values between 0,3 and 8 μg/kg b.w. per day for cancers of the lung, skin and bladder, as well as skin lesions. The scientific opinion concluded that the estimated dietary exposures to inorganic arsenic for average and high level consumers in Europe are within the range of the BMDL01 values identified, and that therefore there is little or no margin of exposure and the possibility of a risk to some consumers cannot be excluded.

(4) The scientific opinion identified high consumers of rice in Europe, such as certain ethnic groups, and children under three years of age as the most exposed to inorganic arsenic dietary exposure. Dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic for children under three years old, including from rice-based foods, is in general estimated to be about 2 to 3-fold that of adults.

(5) Since the analysis of inorganic arsenic is reliable for rice and rice based products, maximum levels for inorganic arsenic should be set for rice and rice based products. Differentiated maximum levels should be proposed in view of the arsenic

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