(2004/C 65 E/286)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3194/03

by Säid El Khadraoui (PSE) to the Commission

(22 October 2003)

Subject:   Carcinogenic substance in baby food

Producers of baby food should replace the lids on their jars as quickly as possible. The lids contain low doses of semicarbazide (SEM), a substance that can cause cancer in mice, according to the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA). Research shows that a dose 40 000 times higher than a baby's daily intake can cause tumours in mice. According to the EFSA, the risk to babies is very small but, on the other hand, no research has ever been carried out on human beings. The problem also arises with some brands of fruit juice, jam, vegetables, mayonnaise and other foodstuffs packed in bottles and jars.

What is the Commission's view of the EFSA's research findings? How serious does it consider the risk to babies, children and adults to be?

What action does the Commission intend to take? Can the Commission say exactly what measures will be introduced and on what timescale?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(18 November 2003)

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is an independent authority with the task to provide the Community Institutions and Member States with scientific advice and technical support in the area food and feed safety. The risk assessment on semicarbazide (SEM) carried out by EFSA concludes that the risk to the consumer and babies in particular is very small but that it would be prudent to reduce exposure to SEM as swiftly as technological progress safely allows. The Commission is acting on this basis.

As soon as the Commission received the statements of EFSA concerning the safety assessment of foods and in particular baby foods in glass jars and bottles, it convened a meeting with the Member States within the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, which took place on 14 October 2003.

At this meeting the phasing out of the use of the blowing agent azodicarbonamide as quickly as technically and legally possible was agreed. To this effect, the Commission will present a draft amendment of Directive 2002/72/EC (1) (the Plastics Directive) to the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health by the end of 2003.

At the request of the Commission, the Member States will continue to monitor the presence of SEM in packaged foods, in particular baby foods, and will report the results to the Commission for onward transmission to EFSA. On the basis of these results, a re-evaluation will be carried out if needed.

Furthermore, the Commission has asked EFSA to assess, with high priority, the risk of SEM levels currently reported in various food products and to complete the assessment of the risks posed by semicarbazide from various origins and in all types of food.

(1)  Commission Directive 2002/72/EC of 6 August 2002 relating to plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs, OJ L 220, 15.8.2002. Corrigendum, OJ L 39, 13.2.2003.