Tuesday 14 October 2008

Importing food containing contaminants

All products imported into the UK must comply with European Union (EU) law on contaminants.

The Contaminants in Food (England) Regulations 2007 make enforcement measures provision for European Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs and prescribes the methods to be used for sampling and analysis for enforcement purposes. There are similar Regulations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

See copies of the EU and UK Regulations:

The foodstuffs indicated in the various sections of the Annex of Commission Regulation EC No 1881/2006 must not, when placed on the market, contain higher contaminant levels than those specified in those sections.

Section 1 – sets limits for nitrate in lettuce, spinach and baby foods.
Section 2 – sets limits for various mycotoxins in, for example, groundnuts, nuts, dried fruit (including dried vine fruit) and products thereof, cereals and cereal products, milk, infant formulae, dietary foods intended for infants, spices, fruit juices, coffee products, wine, spirit drinks, cider, apple products, processed cereal based foods for infants and young children and baby foods.
Section 3 – sets limits for various heavy metals in, for example, milk, meat, fish, cereals, vegetables, fruit and wines.
Section 4 – sets limits for 3-MCPD in Hydrolysed vegetable protein and soy sauce.
Section 5 – sets limits for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in meat, fish, milk, eggs, oils and fats.
Section 6 – sets limits for PAHs in oils and fats, smoked meats, smoked fish, fish, crustaceans and bivalve molluscs, infant foods.

Updated guidance for the England Regulations can be found at the link below, and further information on the legislation is available from:

Barry Walters (mycotoxins, nitrate and 3-MCPD)
email: barry.walters@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
tel: 020 7276 8711 Fax: 020 7276 8717

John Bates (heavy metals, dioxins, PCBs, PAHs and tin)
email: john.t.bates@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
tel: 020 7276 8730 Fax: 020 7276 8717

Find out more

Aflatoxins

Aflatoxins are a type of toxin found naturally in some foods that have been linked with cancer when eaten at high levels. Some spices, nuts, dried fruit and cereals, including cereal products like breakfast cereals, can contain high levels of aflatoxins.

Contaminated spices and palm oils

If you are importing spices from a non-European Union (EU) country you should contact the port in advance. There have been some problems with certain spices being contaminated.

Soy sauce containing 3-MCPD

There have been problems with some soy-sauce products with a chemical called 3-MCPD, which could cause cancer. There are limits on the levels of 3-MCPD that can be present in products imported into the UK and the rest of the European Union, so if you are planning to import soy sauce or products containing it, you need to be aware of the rules.

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Importing food containing contaminants

Related links

Find out more

Aflatoxins

Contaminated spices and palm oils

Soy sauce containing 3-MCPD

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