91997E3966

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3966/97 by Reimer Böge (PPE) to the Commission (12 December 1997)

Subject: Limit values for baby food

Can the Commission state whether there are any new scientific findings and assessments at EU and international level with regard to defining limit values for baby food such as lindane? If so, what are they?

What conclusions does the Commission draw from the current state of scientific discussion?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (6 February 1998)

The scientific committee for food (SCF) was asked to re-examine its earlier 'opinion on Lindane in baby foods' expressed on 23 September 1994. At its meeting on 10 November 1997, the SCF was informed orally that the 'Joint food and agricultural organization/ world health organization (FAO/WHO) meeting on pesticide residues' (JMPR) had re-evaluated lindane at its meeting of 22 September - 1 October 1997 and had substantially lowered the acceptable daily intake (ADI). The committee arrived at a consensus that its previous opinion could no longer be assumed to be valid but was unable to draft a new opinion since the underlying data for the reduction of the ADI were not available. Meanwhile the secretariat of the SCF has been informed that the JMPR opinion on lindane will be published in February or March 1998. The Commission has recently requested the SCF to advise it whether, in the light of the data presented to the JMPR, the presence of lindane at a level of 0.03 milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) of baby food poses a risk to public health and on the maximum level of lindane in such products that could be considered to be acceptable from the public health point of view. The committee concluded on 15 January 1998 that 'a maximum level of lindane of 0.02 mg/kg in foods intended for infants and young children could be considered to be acceptable from the public health point of view'. The SCF's opinion of 15 January 1998 is available via Internet.