EFSA sounds alarm over dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in European diets

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a major scientific alert, warning that everyday dietary exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs exceeds safe boundaries across all age groups in Europe.  

Following a comprehensive review by its Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM), the agency revealed that the European population is routinely ingesting these contaminants at levels that pose potential health risks, with young children facing the highest rates of overexposure.  

The updated warning comes after EFSA drastically tightened its safety benchmarks. Incorporating revised toxicological data from the World Health Organization (WHO), scientists established a new Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI) of 0.6 picograms per kilogram of body weight.  

This revised threshold is three times stricter than the previous one set in 2018. The dramatic shift follows scientific consensus that these compounds are significantly more toxic than previously estimated, particularly regarding their long-term developmental effects.  

Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs are highly toxic, long-lasting environmental pollutants. They naturally accumulate over time within the food chain, settling primarily in animal fats. The highest concentrations are routinely detected in meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products.  

According to the publication, the primary driver behind the stricter threshold is the vulnerability of male reproductive development. Scientific data from both animal and human studies indicate that early-life exposure to these pollutants can lead to decreased sperm production.  

Health officials expressed specific concern for women of childbearing age. Because these chemicals accumulate in body fat, a mother can inadvertently pass the toxic burden to her unborn child during pregnancy and later through breastfeeding, potentially impacting the future reproductive health of her sons.  

While toddlers and young children show the highest statistical exceedance of the new weekly limit due to their smaller body weights relative to food intake, adults also consistently cross the safety line.  

Despite the widespread exceedance, the agency advises maintaining a highly varied and balanced diet to avoid over-reliance on any single food source.  

Moving forward, the responsibility shifts to European risk managers.The European Commission and EU Member States will utilize this scientific data to review and potentially lower the maximum legally permitted limits of these contaminants in commercial food and animal feed.  

EFSA has called for extensive new data collection, specifically urging for wider testing of human breast milk and blood samples across Europe, alongside deeper investigation into contamination levels within plant-based foods. The findings will actively shape upcoming national dietary recommendations.  

Additionally, EFSA is currently finalized a comprehensive risk-benefit analysis of fish consumption, scheduled for completion by the end of 2027, to help citizens balance nutritional gains against contaminant risks.    

Source:

EFSA