Reduction of EU maximum levels for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in animal feed products planned
Action thresholds also affected
Feb 2024. Directive 2002/32/EC on undesirable substances in animal feed sets maximum levels for various contaminants, including dioxins (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs). At the end of 2023, a draft amendment to this directive was notified to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). According to this WTO/SPS notification, the publication of this amending regulation in the Official Journal of the European Union is scheduled for March 2024. It will enter into force 20 days after its publication. This draft includes a reduction of the maximum levels and action thresholds for PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs in certain feedingstuffs.
EU-Maximum values for dioxins and PCBs in food and feed
Dioxins (PCDD/F) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
In addition to strategies to reduce environmental contamination by PCDD/Fs and PCBs, the EU also set maximum levels and action thresholds for food and feed in 2001 to protect human health. These have been amended several times since then.
The current EU legislation with maximum levels and action levels resp. action thresholds for PCDD/Fs and PCBs in food and feed is as follows:
| PCDD/Fs and PCBs | Maximum values | Action levels resp. action thresholds |
| Food | Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 of 25 April 2023 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food |
2013/711/EU: Commission Recommendation of 3 December 2013 on the reduction of the presence of dioxins, furans and PCBs in feed and food |
| Feed | Directive 2002/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 May 2002 on undesirable substances in animal feed |
Directive 2002/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 May 2002 on undesirable substances in animal feed |
Reasons for the planned reduction of maximum levels and action limits in selected feedstuffs
In November 2018, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for dioxins and PCBs of 2 pg TEQ per kg body weight per week, which is around seven times lower than the previously established tolerable intake. EFSA also concluded that the 2005 WHO toxic equivalency factors (TEFs), which are currently used to calculate toxic equivalents (TEQs), should be re-evaluated. On this basis, maximum levels and action limits for PCDD/Fs and PCBs in food and feed should be comprehensively reviewed.
The scientific data available in the EFSA database in recent years on the presence of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) in certain feedingstuffs indicate that lower levels than the current maximum levels are reasonably achievable through the application of best practices. Therefore, and also taking into account the health concerns related to PCDD/Fs and PCBs, the EU considers it appropriate to reduce the maximum and action levels in certain feedingstuffs to the levels considered to be as low as reasonably achievable by good practices.
The proposed changes were notified to the World Trade Organisation at the end of 2023. This notification is available here. The publication of this amending regulation in the Official Journal of the European Union is scheduled for March 2024 in accordance with this WTO/SPS notification. It will enter into force 20 days after its publication.
The planned changes to the maximum levels and action limits for dioxins and PCBs in certain feedingstuffs are described in detail below.
Planned change to the maximum levels for dioxins and PCBs in certain feedstuffs in the EU
Maximum values in ng/kg, relative to a feed with a moisture content of 12%:
| Animal feed (selection) Maximum levels affected by the change are highlighted in bold. |
Maximum value for PCDD/Fs (WHO(2005)-PCDD/F-TEQ) |
Maximum value for the sum of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs (WHO(2005)-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ) |
Maximum value for the sum of NDL-PCBs |
|||
| Future | Current | Future | Current | Future | Current | |
| Feed materials of animal origin | ||||||
| Animal fat, including milk fat and egg fat |
1.0 | 1.50 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 10 | 10 |
| Other land animal products including milk and milk products and eggs and egg products |
0.75 | 0.75 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 10 | 10 |
| Fish oil | 3.5 | 5.0 | 12.0 | 20.0 | 175 | 175 |
| - Fish, other aquatic animals, and products derived thereof with the exception of fish oil, hydrolysed fish protein containing more than 20% fat and crustacea meal |
1.25 | 1.25 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 30 | 30 |
| - Hydrolysed fish protein containing more than 20% fat |
1.5 | 1.75 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 50 | 50 |
| - Crustacea meal | 1.5 | 1.75 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 30 | 30 |
| Compound feed | ||||||
| Compound feed with the exception of: | 0.75 | 0.75 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 10 | 10 |
| – Compound feed for fish | 1.0 | 1.75 | 2.0 | 5.5 | 40 | 40 |
| – Compound feed for pet animals | 1.75 | 1.75 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 40 | 40 |
| – Compound feed for fur animals | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Planned change to the action thresholds for dioxins and PCBs in certain feedstuffs in the EU
| Animal feed (selection) Maximum levels affected by the change are highlighted in bold. |
Action threshold for PCDD/Fs (WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ) |
Action threshold for DL-PCBs (WHO-PCB-TEQ) |
||
| Future | Current | Future | Current | |
| Feed materials of animal origin | ||||
| Animal fat, including milk fat and egg fat | 0.5 | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.75 |
| Other land animal products including milk and milk products and eggs and egg products |
0.5 | 0.5 | 0.35 | 0.35 |
| Fish oil | 2.5 | 4.0 | 8.0 | 11.0 |
| - Fish, other aquatic animals, and products derived thereof with the exception of fish oil, hydrolysed fish protein containing more than 20% fat and crustacea meal |
0.75 | 0.75 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| - Hydrolysed fish protein containing more than 20% fat |
1.0 | 1.25 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| - Crustacea meal | 1.0 | 1.25 | 4.0 | 2.0 |
| Compound feed |
||||
| Compound feed with the exception of: | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| - Compound feed for fish | 0.75 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 2.5 |
| - Compound feed for pet animals | 1.25 | 1.25 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| - Compound feed for fur animals | - | - | - | - |
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Written by:
Simone Staiger, Nina Lohmann
Eurofins GfA Lab Service GmbH