The European Union has lowered the lead and cadmium limits for food products

To protect public health, the European Commission has established new maximum levels for lead and cadmium in a variety of food items. Measures will go into effect on August 30 for lead limits and a day later for cadmium. They encompass fruits and vegetables, as well as meat and supplements. According to the European Commission, the goal is to reduce further the prevalence of heavy metal contaminants in food.  “It is also another step forward in reinforcing EU food safety standards and delivering safer, healthier and more sustainable food for citizens,” said Stella Kyriakides, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety.    

Previously, the EFSA's opinion on cadmium and lead was made public. In 2009, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued an opinion on cadmium in food, concluding that it is predominantly harmful to the kidneys and may induce renal failure. The EU then imposed new limit values for infant meals, as well as chocolate and cocoa products. Concerns were expressed at World Trade Organization meetings about the action on chocolate and cocoa by nations such as Peru. The revised EU regulations apply to items such as beets, garlic, berries, almonds, seafood, and salt.      

Moreover, an EFSA opinion on lead in food issued in 2010 stated that it can cause developmental neurotoxicity in young children and cardiovascular problems in adults. The authority voiced worry that high amounts of lead exposure in the diet might harm neurodevelopment in fetuses, babies, and children. The findings were backed by a study issued in the same year by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants. Following that, the Codex Alimentarius Commission reduced the allowable amount of lead in numerous goods. Some meals for babies and young children, salt, and wild fungus are all targets of revised EU legislation. Maximum amounts for spices were also established to aid in the battle against fraud, such as the addition of lead chromate to turmeric.    

 

Source:  

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1323/oj