EFSA proposes reduced limits for dioxins and PCBs in foods
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recently released an updated draft assessment that proposes a drastic reduction in the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in foods. The updated limit is set at just 0.6 picograms per kilogram of body weight per week.
Dioxins and PCBs are highly stable environmental pollutants that accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals, making foods of animal origin the primary route of dietary exposure. EFSA is reaffirming its conclusion that exposure to these substances remains a significant public health concern.
This move comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) revised its toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) in 2022, prompting the European Commission to request an update to EFSA's 2018 scientific opinion. TEFs are internationally agreed values used to measure the relative toxicity of these compounds, which have been used to conduct the current risk assessment.
Despite years of successful efforts by public authorities and manufacturers to reduce the presence of these chemicals in food and animal feed since the 1970s, EFSA's new estimates reveal a worrying gap: the exposure of the European population exceeds the new limits of 0.6 pg/kg across all age groups.
The draft scientific opinion is now open for public consultation, inviting comments from researchers, stakeholders, and the public until January 26, 2026.
To explain the preliminary conclusions and the methodology behind the new risk assessment, EFSA is hosting a webinar on December 11, 2025.
The final conclusions from EFSA will serve as the foundation for the European Commission to consider and implement any new regulatory measures necessary to manage the risk of these toxic, pervasive contaminants in the food chain.
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