This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Document 32014H0118
2014/118/EU: Commission Recommendation of 3 March 2014 on the monitoring of traces of brominated flame retardants in food Text with EEA relevance
2014/118/EU: Commission Recommendation of 3 March 2014 on the monitoring of traces of brominated flame retardants in food Text with EEA relevance
2014/118/EU: Commission Recommendation of 3 March 2014 on the monitoring of traces of brominated flame retardants in food Text with EEA relevance
OJ L 65, 5.3.2014, p. 39–40
(BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)
In force
5.3.2014 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
L 65/39 |
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
of 3 March 2014
on the monitoring of traces of brominated flame retardants in food
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2014/118/EU)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 292 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) |
Brominated flame retardants are organobromine compounds which are applied to products in order to inhibit or slow down the ignition of combustible materials in case of fire. They are commonly used in a wide range of consumer goods for example electronics, cars, furniture and construction materials to reduce the flammability of the product. Brominated flame retardants can leach out or evaporate from the products in which they were used. Since consumer goods are discharged at the end of their life, these substances have over time contaminated the environment and the food chain. |
(2) |
However, many brominated flame retardants are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic to both humans and the environment. They are suspected of causing neurobehavioral effects and endocrine disruption and they have been found in biota in the environment. |
(3) |
Therefore, the Commission asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to prepare a scientific opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of brominated flame retardants in food. |
(4) |
The Scientific Panel on Contaminants in Food of EFSA adopted six scientific opinions (1) on different classes of brominated flame retardants between September 2010 and September 2012. |
(5) |
EFSA recommended, for a number of those classes, that further data on levels in food and in humans should be gathered. |
(6) |
Levels of brominated flame retardants in food of animal origin could be related to the presence of these substances in animal feed, therefore, based on the first results of the monitoring of food in 2014, a recommendation as regards the monitoring of animal feed could follow in 2015, |
HAS ADOPTED THIS RECOMMENDATION:
1. |
Member States should perform monitoring on the presence of brominated flame retardants in food, during the years 2014 and 2015. The monitoring should include a wide variety of individual foodstuffs reflecting consumption habits in order to give an accurate estimation of exposure and different food commodities should be included for the different classes of brominated flame retardants |
2. |
Member States should follow the sampling procedures laid down in Annex II to Commission Regulation (EU) No 252/2012 (2) in order to ensure that the samples are representative of the sampled lot. |
3. |
Member States should carry out analysis of the different classes of brominated flame retardants in order to detect the presence of the following substances in the respective food commodities:
|
4. |
Member States should carry out the analysis of brominated flame retardants in accordance with Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) using a method of analysis that has been proven to generate reliable results. |
5. |
Member States should provide, on a regular basis to EFSA, the monitoring data expressed on whole weight basis or fat basis with the information and in the electronic reporting format as set out by EFSA for compilation into one database. They should include available data obtained from previous years by using a method of analysis that has been proven to generate reliable results in order to monitor trends in exposure. |
Done at Brussels, 3 March 2014.
For the Commission
Tonio BORG
Member of the Commission
(1) EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM); Scientific Opinion on Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBBs) in Food. EFSA Journal 2010; 8(10):1789. [151 pp.]. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1789.
Scientific Opinion on Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Food. EFSA Journal 2011; 9(5):2156. [274 pp.] doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2156.
Scientific Opinion on Hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs) in Food. EFSA Journal 2011; 9(7):2296. [118 pp.] doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2296.
Scientific Opinion on Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and its derivatives in food. EFSA Journal 2011; 9(12):2477. [61 pp.] doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2477.
Scientific Opinion on Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) in Food: Brominated Phenols and their Derivatives. EFSA Journal 2012; 10(4):2634. [42 pp.] doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2634.
Scientific Opinion on Emerging and Novel Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) in Food. EFSA Journal 2012; 10(10):2908. [125 pp.] doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2908.
(2) Commission Regulation (EU) No 252/2012 of 21 March 2012 laying down methods of sampling and analysis for the official control of levels of dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and non-dioxin-like PCBs in certain foodstuffs and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1883/2006 (OJ L 84, 23.3.2012, p. 1).
(3) Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules (OJ L 165, 30.4.2004, p. 1).