Commission Regulation (EC) No 565/2008 of 18 June 2008 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs as regards the establishment of a maximum level for dioxins and PCBs in fish liver (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2008-06-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: consumer protection, fish product, food contamination, food safety, food standard, foodstuff, marketing standard

L 160/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

19.6.2008

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 565/2008

of 18 June 2008

amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in
foodstuffs as regards the establishment of a maximum level for dioxins and PCBs in fish liver

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(6)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with
Standing
Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

opinion

the

the

of

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

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

Whereas:

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 (2)
sets
maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs.

Maximum levels should be set at a strict level which is
achievable by following good practices and taking into
account the risk related to the consumption of food.

Very high levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs have
been found in canned fish liver and were reported
through the Rapid Alert System for Feed and Food
(RASFF) since 2006. No maximum level was established
for fish liver and processed products thereof. In order to
protect public health competent authorities prohibited
the placing on the market of those products because
they were deemed to be unsafe.

It is appropriate to establish a Community maximum
for the sum of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in
level
fish liver and processed products thereof
to protect
public health and to ensure a uniform approach in the
internal market.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

In Section 5 (Dioxins and PCBs) of the Annex to Regu-

1.
lation (EC) No 1881/2006, the following point is added:

Maximum levels

Sum of dioxins
(WHO-PCDD/
F-TEQ)

—

Sum of dioxins
and dioxin-like
PCBs (WHO-
PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ)

25,0 pg/g wet
weight (32) (38)

‘5.11

Fish liver and derived
products thereof with
the
of
exception
marine oils referred to
in point 5.10

(38)

In the case of canned fish liver, the maximum level applies to the whole
edible content of the can.’

Footnote 34 of

2.
1881/2006 is replaced by the following:

the Annex to Regulation (EC) No

‘(34) Foodstuffs listed in this category as defined in categories
(a), (b), (c), (e) and (f) of the list in Article 1 of Regu-
lation (EC) No 104/2000, with the exclusion of fish
liver referred to in point 5.11.’

Taking into account the specific canning process of fish
liver, the maximum level established for fresh fish liver
should also apply to processed fish liver.

Article 2

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

(1) OJ L 37, 13.2.1993, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation
the

the European Parliament and of

(EC) No 1882/2003 of
Council (OJ L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1).

(2) OJ L 364, 20.12.2006, p. 5. Regulation as amended by Regulation

(EC) No 1126/2007 (OJ L 255, 29.9.2007, p. 14).

It shall apply from 1 July 2008.

19.6.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 160/21

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

Done at Brussels, 18 June 2008.

For the Commission

Androulla VASSILIOU
Member of the Commission