European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): focus on environmental contaminants

Dioxins, PCBs and PFOS / PFOA toxicologically re-evaluated

Feb 2019. New health-based guidance values for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs or PFOS and PFOA are significantly lower than previously defined tolerable intake levels. Eurofins GfA Lab Service is prepared for possible reductions of the existing maximum levels.

EFSA's collection of occurrence data and risk assessments concerning environmental contaminants

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) collects regularly occurrence data on contaminants in food and feed, carries out risk assessments and gives scientific advise, including for the EU legislative bodies. Such data collection and -assessments by EFSA include dioxins and PCBs, brominated flame retardants and per-and/or polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS, also abbreviated as PFCs). For two of these groups, tolerable intake levels have only recently been updated.

Dioxins and doxin-like PCBs – New limit values under discussion

EFSA’s expert Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) has completed the Authority’s first comprehensive review of the risks to human and animal health from these substances in food and feed. The corresponding scientific opinion was published in November 2018. The experts of the CONTAM Panel have set a new tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs, being about seven times lower than previously defined tolerable intake levels:

bw = body weight, TDI = tolerable daily intake, TWI = tolerable weekly intake, TMI = tolerable monthly intake

Dietary exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs is predominantly caused by fish, cheese and livestock meat in European countries. EFSA calculations based on different dietary scenarios show that the intake of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs is above the new TWI level for young children, other children, adolescents, adults and the elderly.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) – New limit values under discussion

EFSA is also working on scientific opinions for perfluorinated alkyl substances – a group of other environmental contaminants that can reach us humans via the food chain –. For the two most important representatives of this substance class, perfluoroctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluoroctanoic acid (PFOA), an initial assessment is available. Here, too, EFSA has derived significantly lower tolerable intake levels than previously determined:

bw = body weight, TDI = tolerable daily intake, TWI = tolerable weekly intake, RfD = reference dose, p = provisional

EFSA calculations based on different dietary scenarios show that for a large part of the EU population, the uptake of PFOS and PFOA is above the new TWI levels.

These conclusions of EFSA should be regarded as provisional and will be reviewed while the CONTAM Panel is working on another assessment, concerning also other PFAS.

Consultance and analytical services by Eurofins' experts

Following EFSA's published scientific opinion, the European Commission and EU Member States intend to discuss risk management measures to ensure a high level of consumer protection. The competence center for Dioxins & Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) within the Eurofins network of laboratories - Eurofins GfA Lab Service GmbH – keeps a close look on developments with regard to environmental contaminants and is already working on improving existing analytical methods for determination of dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and PFAS in food and feed. Should the risk management measures result in a reduction of the already existing maximum levels (dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs) or in a setting of new maximum levels (PFOS and PFOA), the competence center for Dioxins & Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) will be prepared.

For further questions please do not hesitate to contact our experts.