G/SPS/N/EU/708  
4 January 2024  
(24-0009) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN UNION  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission, Health and Food Safety Directorate -General  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Cereals and cereal products for human consumption  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Draft Commission Regulation amending Regulation 
(EU) 2023/915 as regards maximum levels of deoxynivalenol in food (Text with EEA 
relevance) . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  3+3 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/SPS/EEC/24_00024_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/SPS/EEC/24_00024_01_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Review of maximum levels for  deoxynivalenol in cereals and 
cereal products intended for human consumption.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other dam age from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : General Standard for Contaminants and toxins in food 
and feed (CXS 193 -1995)  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [X] No  
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  The Codex maximum level for cereal -based foods for infants and 
young children of 200 µg/kg while the notified dr aft foresees the establishment of a lower 
level of 150 µg/kg.  
The Codex maximum level for flour semolina and flakes derived from wheat, maize or 
barley is 1 ,000 µg/kg while the notified draft foresees the establishment of a lower level of G/SPS/N/EU/708  
 
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  600 µg/kg for flo ur, semolina and flakes derived from wheat or barley. The foreseen 
maximum level for flour; semolina and flakes derived from maize is in line with the Codex 
maximum level of 1 ,000 µg/kg.  
The Codex maximum level for cereal grains (wheat, maize and barley) d estined for further 
processing of 2 ,000 µg/kg is higher than the maximum level foreseen in the notified draft 
for unprocessed cereals. However, the levels are not comparable given that the Codex 
level applies to cereals before cleaning/sorting proven to re duce the level of 
deoxynivalenol while the maximum levels in the foreseen draft apply to unprocessed 
cereals after cleaning, sorting or physical treatment. Given that cleaning, sorting or any 
other physical treatment can significantly reduce the level of d eoxynivalenol, it is 
considered that there is no divergence between the levels.  
EFSA in its scientific opinion in 2017, concluded that the current exposure to 
deoxynivalenol is above the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) for certain population groups, 
indicatin g a potential  health  concern: 
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4718 . 
On the other hand, re cent occurrence data and information on the application of good 
practices indicate that lower levels than the current existing maximum levels can be 
achieved by applying good practices and therefore it is appropriate to lower the maximum 
level for certain foods following the principle that maximum levels are to be set at a level 
as low as reasonably achievable by applying good practices to minimize contamination to 
ensure a high level of human health protection.  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : March 2024  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : March 2024  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : 1 July 2024  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 4 March 2024  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit A4 -Multilateral International Relations  
Rue Froissart 101  
B-1049 Brussels  
Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit A4 -Multilateral International Relations  
Rue Froissart 101  
B-1049 Brussels  
Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu