Commission Recommendation of 28 March 2007 on the monitoring of the presence of furan in foodstuffs (Text with EEA relevance )
Date: 2007-03-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Food Safety Authority, data collection, exchange of information, food inspection, food safety, foodstuff, toxic substance

L 88/56

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

29.3.2007

RECOMMENDATIONS

COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION

of 28 March 2007

on the monitoring of the presence of furan in foodstuffs

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2007/196/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

risk assessment. A special focus should be given on data
collection during the years 2007 and 2008. After that,
data collection should continue on a routine basis.

Having regard to the Treaty
establishing the European
Community, and in particular the second indent of Article
211 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

In May 2004 the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) published the results of a survey concerning the
presence of
that undergo heat
treatment. Furan levels were found in a variety of food-
stuffs (e.g. canned and jarred foodstuffs, baby foods,
coffee, soups and sauces, etc.).

furan in products

The Scientific Panel on contaminants in the Food Chain
of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) considered
those results an urgent issue and compiled a scientific
report on furan in food on 7 December 2004.

In this report EFSA concluded that from the presently
available data it appears that there is a relatively small
difference between possible human exposure and doses
in experimental animals that produce carcinogenic effects
and that a reliable risk assessment would need further
data on both toxicity and exposure.

(5)

(6)

juices,

Data should be collected on commercial foodstuffs as
purchased disregarding any further preparation (e.g.
jars and cans not heated before
coffee powder,
consumption) and commercial
foodstuffs analysed as
consumed after further preparation in the laboratory
(e.g. brewed coffee, canned and jarred products heated
In the latter case preparation
before consumption).
available. Food
instructions,
should follow label
prepared at home on basis of
fresh ingredients (e.g.
vegetable soup made with fresh vegetables, home-made
Irish stew) should not be subject
to this monitoring
programme as the effects of home cooking practices
on furan levels in foodstuffs could be better explored
in a research project.

if

for

levels of

sampling and analysis
the

In order to ensure that samples are representative for the
sampled lot, the sampling procedures laid down in Part B
of
the Annex to Commission Regulation (EC) No
333/2007 of 28 March 2007 laying down the
the official
methods of
control of
cadmium, mercury,
inorganic tin, 3-MCPD and benzo(a)pyrene in food-
stuffs (1) should be followed. The analysis of samples
should be carried out in accordance with points 1 and
2 of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the
European Parliament and the Council of 29 April 2004
on official
the verification of
to ensure
compliance with feed and food law, animal health and
animal welfare rules (2).

controls

lead,

(4)

It
the
is necessary to generate reliable data across
European Community on levels of furan in heat treated
foodstuffs in order to enable EFSA to carry out a reliable

(1) See page 29 of this Official Journal.
(2) OJ L 165, 30.4.2004, p. 1, as corrected by OJ L 191, 28.5.2004,
p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No
1791/2006 (OJ L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 1).

29.3.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 88/57

(7)

It is important that the analytical results and specific
additional information needed for the evaluation of the
results are reported on a regular basis to EFSA. The
reporting format should be set out by EFSA. The compi-
lation of the data into a database will be ensured by
EFSA,

3. That Member States follow the sampling procedures as laid
down in Part B of
the Annex to Regulation (EC) No
333/2007 in order to ensure that samples are representative
for the sampled lot. Sample preparation before analysis
should be carried out with the necessary care to ensure
that the furan content of the sample is not altered.

HEREBY RECOMMENDS:

1. That Member States perform during the years 2007 and
2008 monitoring on the presence of
furan in foodstuffs
that have undergone heat
treatment. The monitoring
should include commercial
foodstuffs as purchased disre-
garding any further preparation (1) and commercial
food-
stuffs analysed as consumed after further preparation in
the laboratory (2).

2. That Member States provide on a regular basis to EFSA the
monitoring data with the information and in the format as
set out by EFSA.

4. That Member States carry out

furan in
accordance with points 1 and 2 of Annex III to Regulation
(EC) No 882/2004.

the analysis of

Done at Brussels, 28 March 2007.

For the Commission

Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission

(1) Commercial

foodstuffs

preparation: e.g. coffee powder,
before consumption.

as purchased disregarding any further
jars and cans not heated

juices,

(2) Commercial

as

analysed

foodstuffs

further
preparation in the laboratory: e.g. brewed coffee, canned and
jarred products heated before consumption. If available, preparation
should follow label instructions. Food prepared at home on basis of
fresh ingredients (e.g. vegetable soup with fresh vegetables, home-
made Irish stew) are not subject of this monitoring programme.

consumed

after