Scientific Opinion on the presence of dioxins (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) in commercially available foods for infants and young children

EFSA was asked by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) to deliver a scientific opinion on the presence of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in commercially available foods for infants and young children. It was requested to describe the relation of important parameters of the distribution of the occurrence data to the new EU maximum levels (MLs), and to assess whether these MLs are sufficient to aim to decrease the dietary exposure of infants and young children to dioxins and DL-PCBs. The CONTAM Panel did not perform an exposure or risk assessment, but evaluated whether the enforcement of the new EU MLs will result in a decrease in the concentration of dioxins and DL-PCBs in foods for infants and young children, and thus in a potential decrease in exposure of this population group. A total of 516 samples was included in the evaluation, reported by 13 European countries and covering the period 2003 to 2011. All accepted data (upper-bound) were below the current MLs for foods for infants and young children of 0.1 pg WHO₂₀₀₅-TEQ/g w.w. for dioxins and 0.2 pg WHO₂₀₀₅-TEQ/g w.w. for the sum of dioxins and DL-PCBs. Therefore, the CONTAM Panel concluded that, based on the available data, the current MLs are not an incentive to decrease the concentrations of dioxins and DL-PCBs in the relevant foods. From the reported data, it is not possible to conclude on any time trend concerning the dioxin and DL-PCB levels in foods for infants and young children. The Panel recommended that more occurrence data on representative samples are needed, particularly for those foods for infants and young children where only a few results are available so far. Moreover, the sensitivity of the analytical methods should be improved, if lower MLs were to be considered in the future.

© European Food Safety Authority, 2012

Following a request from the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM Panel) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the presence of dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs)) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in commercially available foods for infants and young children. It was particularly requested to describe the relation of important parameters of the distribution of the occurrence data to the current existing European Union (EU) maximum levels (MLs), and to assess whether these levels are sufficient to aim to decrease the dietary exposure of infants and children to dioxins and DL-PCBs. The CONTAM Panel interpreted this request in such a way that it did not perform an exposure or risk assessment for infants and young children, but evaluated whether the enforcement of the new MLs, which are in force since 1 January 2012, will result in a decrease in the concentration of dioxins and DL-PCBs in foods for infants and young children, and thus in a potential decrease in exposure of this specific population group.

Analytical results from a total of 516 samples, reported by 13 European countries and covering the period 2003 to 2011, were evaluated. More than one third of the data were provided by the United Kingdom (UK) for samples collected in 2003. For samples derived from dry products, the limit of detection or limit of quantification (LOD or LOQ) and the reported levels of dioxins and DL-PCBs were recalculated as ready-to-eat equivalents. An average dilution factor of 7.1 was used for infant and follow-on formula in powder form, of 10.0 for cereals and other foods for infants and young children which have to be reconstituted with milk or other appropriate nutritious liquids, and of 5.0 for cereals and other foods which have to be reconstituted with water.

Certain products have to be prepared with milk and in principle this should be taken into account. Levels in milk may vary and as such cause variable levels in products as reconstituted for consumption. The CONTAM Panel noted that when milk is used for reconstitution, the variable levels of dioxins and DL-PCBs in milk could have a considerable impact on the concentration in the product ready for consumption. 

Some groups of foods for infants and young children were poorly represented (N < 30), in particular ‘Yoghurt, cheese and milk-based dessert for infants and young children’, ‘Cereal-based food for infants and young children’ and ‘Infant / Follow-on formula, liquid’.

The CONTAM Panel noted that the LODs and LOQs varied with the congener analysed, the food matrix and the reporting laboratory. Depending on the food group, the percentage of left-censored data ranged between 0 and 15.8 % for dioxins and between 0 and 10.5 % for the sum of dioxins and DL-PCBs.

Taking all food groups together (as stipulated in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No 1259/2011) and based on UB (upper-bound) [lower-bound (LB)] levels, the P50, P90 and P95 were <0.005 [<0.005], 0.02 [0.01] and 0.03 [0.01] pg WHO₂₀₀₅-TEQ/g wet weight (w.w.) for dioxins. For the sum of dioxins and DL-PCBs, the P50, P90 and P95 for all food groups based on UB (LB) levels were 0.01 (<0.005), 0.04 (0.02) and 0.07 (0.04) pg WHO₂₀₀₅-TEQ/g w.w. The maximum UB levels in this dataset were 0.08 and 0.19 pg WHO₂₀₀₅-TEQ/g w.w. for dioxins and the sum of dioxins and DL-PCBs, respectively.

Liquid and powder infant and follow-on formula showed UB levels up to 0.05 and 0.06 pg WHO₂₀₀₅-TEQ/g w.w for dioxins and for the sum of dioxins and DL-PCBs, respectively. The highest UB levels, up to 0.08 for dioxins and 0.19 pg WHO₂₀₀₅-TEQ/g w.w. for the sum of dioxins and DL-PCBs, were found in ready-to-eat meals containing fish or meat.

The UB levels based on all accepted data were below the current MLs for foods for infants and young children of 0.1 pg WHO₂₀₀₅-TEQ/g w.w. for dioxins and 0.2 pg WHO₂₀₀₅-TEQ/g w.w. for the sum of dioxins and DL-PCBs which are in force since 1 January 2012. Therefore, the CONTAM Panel concluded that, based on the available data, the current MLs are not an incentive to decrease the concentrations of dioxins and DL-PCBs in the relevant foods.

As the samples evaluated in this opinion represent different kinds of food, collected for different purposes, analysed in different laboratories in different countries and in different years, it is not possible to conclude on any time trend concerning the levels of dioxins and DL-PCBs in foods for infants and young children. In this respect it has also to be considered that maximum levels for these foods are only applicable from 2012, i.e. no legal or analytical requirements were set before and differences in the UB levels of samples analysed earlier may also have been the result of different LOQs. The large differences between LB and UB levels also imply that most levels are considerably overestimated even in the case of the higher levels.

The CONTAM Panel recommended that more occurrence data on representative samples are needed, particularly for those foods for infants and young children where only a few results are available so far. Moreover, the sensitivity of the analytical methods should be improved in order to decrease the difference between LB and UB concentrations, if lower MLs were to be considered in the future.

dioxins (PCDD/Fs), dioxin-like PCBs, foods for infants and young children, legislation, occurrence, distribution