Food News

On May 5th, the old Contaminants Regulation (EU) 1881/2006 was replaced by a completely revised new version - Regulation (EU) 2023/915 - which contains numerous improvements as well as amendments and additions to the maximum levels. It entered into force on 25.5.2023. 

We have compiled the most important changes for you here:

• 1.1 Aflatoxins:
  The maximum levels for aflatoxins now also apply to processed food if it consists of 80% of the corresponding product. 
  
• 5.1 Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
  Powders from food of plant origin used for the preparation of beverages, excluding cocoa beans and cocoa fibre and products derived therefrom, and excluding instant and soluble coffee, have been set as follows:
  
  
  • Benzo[a]pyrene; 10.0 µg/kg
  • Sum of PAH*: 50.0 µg/kg

For baby food, the maximum permitted levels now refer to the ready-to-eat product.

^{*(Benzo[a]pyrene, Benz[a]anthracene, Benzo[b]fluoranthene and Chrysene)}

• 6.2 Melamine:
  The previous maximum level for infant formulae referred to solid powdered preparations (1 mg/kg). It is now supplemented by a maximum level for the marketing of liquid infant formulae (0.15 mg/kg).

In addition, important definitions are laid down right at the beginning in Article 1. Foodstuffs exceeding the maximum levels laid down in Annex 1 may neither be placed on the market nor further processed as raw materials or ingredients. The ban on decontamination has been extended to all foodstuffs.

For the practical work with the new regulation, it also proves to be very positive that the abundance of footnotes has been significantly reduced and instead a comment column has been added in Annex 1 with additional instructions on the application of the maximum levels.

Which article of the old regulation can be found in which place in the new regulation can be found in Annex 2. Transitional provisions from the old Regulation (EU) 1881/2006 continue to apply and can be found in Article 10 of the new Regulation.

Our suggestion: Take a look at the new regulation. It applies immediately from 25.5.23 without transitional rules. You can find the original texts here: Regulation (EU) 2023/915

YOUR PLUS: Our customer advisors in the AGROLAB laboratories have familiarised themselves intensively with the changes and will evaluate your analytical results on the basis of the new EU Regulation 2023/915.

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger