The draft, which was adopted at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SC PAFF) on 19 October 2022, contains lowered MLs for non-parboiled milled rice and specifications for new MLs for inorganic arsenic in rice flour, rice drinks, food for infants and young children, fruit juices and nectars, as well as a new ML for total arsenic in salt.
The European Commission is working on new maximum levels (ML) for inorganic arsenic in food and adopted a draft regulation, which was published in the course of a targeted stakeholder consultation. The European association FoodDrinkEurope had participated in the constellation, taking into account the comments submitted by the Food Federation Germany. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has now informed upon request that work on the project is continuing and has been completed in the meantime (SANTE/10384/2021). The draft, which was adopted at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SC PAFF) on 19 October 2022, contains lowered MLs for non-parboiled milled rice and specifications for new MLs for inorganic arsenic in rice flour, rice drinks, food for infants and young children, fruit juices and nectars, as well as a new ML for total arsenic in salt. Originally, the proposal also included new MLs for arsenic in fish and other seafood. However, the setting of maximum levels for these product groups was initially postponed. As further coordination is required due to insufficient or missing data for certain fish, crustaceans and shellfish species. It was announced that MLs for fish and other seafood of these species will be dealt with in a separate process.
Food lawfully placed on the market before the entry into force of the Regulation may remain on the market until the expiry of its date of minimum durability or use-by date.
Source: Lebensmittelverband, Rundschreiben L-809-2022
