Commission Regulation (EC) No 221/2002 of 6 February 2002 amending Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2002-02-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: consumer protection, food contamination, food standard, foodstuff, public health, toxic substance

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Official Journal of the European Communities

7.2.2002

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 221/2002

of 6 February 2002

amending Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in
foodstuffs

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 315/93 of 8
for
February 1993 laying down Community procedures
contaminants in food (1), and in particular Article 2(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

Regulation (EEC) No 315/93 provides that maximum
levels must be set for contaminants in foodstuffs in
order to protect public health.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 (2),
as
amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 2375/2001 (3),
sets maximum levels for certain contaminants in food-
stuffs to apply from 5 April 2002. In particular, Annex I
thereto sets levels for lead, cadmium and mercury in
certain fishery products.

It is essential, in order to protect public health, to keep
contaminants at levels which are toxicologically accept-
able. Maximum levels for lead, cadmium and mercury
must be safe and as low as reasonably achievable
(ALARA) based upon good manufacturing and agricul-

tural/fishery practices. On the basis of new analytical
data it is necessary to revise the relevant provisions of
Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 for these
contaminants in certain fishery products. The revised
provisions maintain a high level of consumer health
protection.

(4)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee
for Foodstuffs,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annex I
accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

to Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 is amended in

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter
into force on the 20th day
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Communities.

It shall apply from 5 April 2002.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 6 February 2002.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 37, 13.2.1993, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 77, 16.3.2001, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 321, 6.12.2001, p. 1.

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Section 3 (Heavy metals) of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 is amended as follows:

(a) concerning lead (Pb), the points 3.1.4, 3.1.4.1 and 3.1.6 are replaced by the following:

ANNEX

Product

Maximum level
(mg/kg wet weight)

Performance criteria for
sampling

Performance criteria for
methods of analysis

‘3.1.4. Muscle meat (*) of fish as defined in
categories (a), (b) and (e) of the list
of Article 1 of Council Regulation
(EC) No 104/2000 (OJ L 17,
21.1.2000, p. 22), excluding fish
species listed in 3.1.4.1

0,2

Directive 2001/22/EC

Directive 2001/22/EC

3.1.4.1. Muscle meat (*) of:

0,4

Directive 2001/22/EC

Directive 2001/22/EC

bonito (Sarda sarda),
common two-banded seabream
(Diplodus vulgaris),
eel (Anguilla anguilla),
grey mullet (Mugil labrosus labrosus),
grunt (Pomadasys benneti),
horce mackerel or scad (Trachurus
trachurus),
sardine (Sardina pilchardus),
sardinops (Sardinops species),
spotted seabass (Dicentrarchus punc-
tatus),
tuna (Thunnus species and Euthynnys
species),
wedge sole (Dicologoglossa cuneata)

3.1.6.

Bivalve molluscs

1,5

Directive 2001/22/EC

Directive 2001/22/EC

(*) Where fish are intended to be eaten whole, the maximum level shall apply to the whole fish.’

(b) concerning cadmium (Cd), the points 3.2.5, 3.2.5.1 and 3.2.6 are replaced by the following:

Product

Maximum level
(mg/kg wet weight)

Performance criteria for
sampling

Performance criteria for
methods of analysis

‘3.2.5. Muscle meat (*) of fish as defined in
categories (a), (b) and (e) of the list
of Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No
104/2000, excluding fish species
listed in 3.2.5.1

0,05

Directive 2001/22/EC

Directive 2001/22/EC

3.2.5.1. Muscle meat (*) of:

0,1

Directive 2001/22/EC

Directive 2001/22/EC

bonito (Sarda sarda),
common two-banded seabream
(Diplodus vulgaris),
eel (Anguilla anguilla),
European anchovy (Engraulis encrasi-
cholus),
grey mullet (Mugil labrosus labrosus),
horse mackerel or scad (Trachurus
trachurus),
louvar or luvar (Luvarus imperialis),
sardine (Sardina pilchardus),
sardinops (Sardinops species),
tuna (Thunnus and Euthynnus species),
wedge sole (Dicologoglossa cuneata)

3.2.6.

Crustaceans, excluding brown meat
of crab and excluding head and
thorax meat of lobster and similar
large crustaceans (Nephropidae and
Palinuridae)

0,5

Directive 2001/22/EC

Directive 2001/22/EC

(*) Where fish are intended to be eaten whole, the maximum level shall apply to the whole fish.’

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(c) concerning mercury (Hg), the point 3.3.1.1 is replaced by the following:

Product

Maximum level
(mg/kg wet weight)

Performance criteria for
sampling

Performance criteria for
methods of analysis

‘3.3.1.1. Anglerfish (Lophius species),

1,0 mg/kg

Directive 2001/22/EC Directive 2001/22/EC’

Atlantic catfish (Anarhichas lupus),
bass (Dicentrarchus labrax),
blue ling (Molva dipterygia),
bonito (Sarda sarda),
eel (Anguilla species),
emperor or orange roughy (Hoplostethus
atlanticus),
grenadier (Coryphaenoides rupestris),
halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus),
marlin (Makaira species),
pike (Esox lucius),
plain bonito (Orcynopsis unicolor),
portuguese dogfish (Centroscymnes coelo-
lepis),
rays (Raja species),
redfish (Sebastes marinus, S. mentella, S.
viviparus),
sail fish (Istiophorus platypterus),
scabbard fish (Lepidopus caudatus, Apha-
nopus carbo),
shark (all species),
snake mackerel or butterfish (Lepidocy-
bium flavobrunneum, Ruvettus pretiousus,
Gempylus serpens),
sturgeon (Acipenser species),
swordfish (Xiphias gladius),
tuna
species)

and Euthynnus

(Thunnus

species