EU sets maximum levels for nickel in food

In July 2025, maximum levels for nickel in various foodstuffs will come into force for the first time

Apr 2024 (update). On 1 July 2025, maximum levels for nickel in food will come into force in the EU for the first time. The amending Regulation to the European Contaminants Regulation (EU) 2023/915 has already been adopted as final draft D094932/03. A final Draft Regulation has also been adopted for the sampling and analysis of nickel in foodstuffs (D095313/02), which is to be incorporated into Regulation (EU) No. 333/2007.

In addition, the EU has adopted a Monitoring Recommendation (EU) 2024/907 for nickel in food for the years 2025-2027 to further improve the data situation on nickel in food

Future maximum levels for nickel at a glance

Maximum levels for nickel will be introduced in the following product groups:

tree nuts
certain vegetables (root, tuber and bulb vegetables, fruiting vegetables; brassica vegetables, leafy vegetables, legume vegetables, stem vegetables)
fresh herbs
seaweed
pulses
oilseeds (sunflower seed, peanuts, soy beans)
cereals (maximum levels valid as from 1 July 2026)
cacao and chocolate products
infant formulae, follow-on formulae, food for special medical purposes intended for infants and young children and young-child formulae
fruit juices, fruit nectars and vegetable juices

As some of the product groups mentioned have long shelf lifes, products that were lawfully placed on the market before the maximum levels came into force will be allowed to remain on the market.

What is nickel – occurrence and toxicology

Nickel (Ni) is a metal that is ubiquitous in the environment as a component of the earth's crust. The presence of nickel in food is partly natural. Nickel in food and drinking water can also come from various industrial and technological applications.

Negative effects on offspring development have been identified in animal studies as a critical effect in assessing the effects of nickel from long-term oral intake. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) re-evaluated the health risks of nickel in food in 2020 and derived a Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of 13 micrograms per kilogram (µg/kg) of body weight per day.

BfR risk assessment on nickel

The Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR) has issued a statement on the estimation of the long-term intake of nickel from food based on the results of the BfR MEAL study (Communication No. 033/2022 of 22 November 2022). This clearly shows that nickel is primarily ingested through food.

With the BfR MEAL Study, a total diet study, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) for the first time examined 90% of the most commonly consumed foods in Germany for various substances, including nickel. The main food groups, pulses, nuts, oilseeds and spices, as well as coffee, cocoa and tea, had the highest average nickel contents of about 1.6 mg/kg and 1.5 mg/kg respectively. The highest nickel levels were found in cocoa powder (11.1 mg/kg) and cashew nuts (5.4 mg/kg). These results are also consistent with the findings of the Eurofins laboratories.

Due to their relatively high consumption, foods in the main group "Cereals and cereal-based products" contribute the most to nickel intake with 24% for adults/adolescents and 28% for children.

Analysis for nickel in food

The experts at the Competence Centre for Metals and Elements of the Eurofins Laboratory Network for Food and Feed Analysis in Germany have many years of experience in the analysis and evaluation of heavy metals. After sample digestion, nickel can be analysed alone or together with other metals and elements. With ICP-MS, ICP-OES and AAS, suitable instruments are available for all common food and feed matrices. ICP-MS/MS is used when particularly low detection limits are required.

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions about analysis or need advice on nickel, please contact your personal account manager or our experts Franziska Wiesner or Andreas Schäfer.