Contaminants in food: minimising negative impacts

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EEC) No 315/93 on EU procedures for contaminants in food

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

It seeks to protect public health by prohibiting the marketing of foods containing an unacceptable amount of residual substances known as contaminants.

KEY POINTS

Contaminants are present in food as a result of treatment after production or through environmental contamination.
The European Union (EU) regulates the toxicologically acceptable levels of contaminants and keeps them at the lowest possible levels.
Contaminants which are the subject of more specific rules, or concern extraneous matter, such as insect fragments, animal hair, etc., are not covered by this regulation.
An EU Member State may take restrictive measures by reference to this regulation if it suspects that the presence of a contaminant poses a hazard to public health. If so, it must immediately inform the other Member States and the European Commission and give reasons for its decision. The Commission must examine the reasons given by the Member State as soon as possible and take appropriate measures after having consulted the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (formerly the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health). This committee assists the Commission on all matters which concern contaminants, including the establishment of authorised maximum tolerances.
The regulation requires maximum levels to be set for certain contaminants in order to protect public health.
Member States must not prohibit trade in foods that comply with this regulation.

Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 (see summary) sets maximum levels for certain contaminants in food, such as nitrate, lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, melamine, etc.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 1 March 1993.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

Contaminants (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Council Regulation (EEC) No 315/93 of 8 February 1993 laying down Community procedures for contaminants in food (OJ L 37, 13.2.1993, pp. 1–3).

Successive amendments and corrections to Regulation (EEC) No 315/93 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.