# Potential Metal Contamination in Foods of Animal Origin--Food Safety Aspects
## 3 Current Regulatory Standards
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c} \hline \hline
**Foodstuffs** & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Maximum Levels (mg/kg Wet Weight)**} \\ \cline{2-4}  & **Lead** & **Cadmium** & **Mercury** \\ \hline Raw milk, heat-treated milk, and milk for the manufacture of & 0.02 & - & - \\ milk-based products & & 0.10 & 0.05 & - \\ Meat (excluding offal) of bovine animals, sheep, pig, and poultry & 0.50 & & - \\ Orfal of bovine animals, sheep, pig, and poultry & & 0.50 & & - \\ Liver of bovine animals, sheep, pig, poultry, and horse & - & 0.50 & - \\ Kidney of bovine animals, sheep, pig, poultry, and horse & - & 1.0 & - \\ Horsemeat, excluding offal & - & 0.20 & - \\ Muscle meat of fish (general), fishery products & 0.30 & 0.05 & 0.50 \\ Muscle meat of the following fish: anchovy (_Engraulis_ species), common & & & \\ two-banded seaberman (_Diplodus vulgaris_), grey mullet (_Mugil labrosus labrosus_), & & & \\ horse meclered or scad (_Trachurus_ sp.), bouvar or luvar (_Luturus imperialis_), & & - & 0.10 & - \\  (_Sardina pilchardus_), sardinops (_Sardinops_ sp.), and wedge sole & & & \\ Muscle meat of the following fish: bonito (_Sarda sarda_), eel (_Anguilla_ sp., _A. anguilla_), and tuna (_Thumus_ sp., _Euthynnus_ sp., _Katsuownus pelamis_) & - & 0.10 & 1.0 \\ Muscle meat of the following fish: angelfish (_Lophius_ sp.), Atlantic catfish (_Anartichis lupus_), emperor, orange roughly, rosy soldierfish (_Hopolestlus_ sp.), & & \\ greenardier (_Cornybeanoides nurepstris_), halibult (_Hippocampus_ hypoglossus), marlin & & & \\ (_Makaira_ sp.), megrin (_Lepidopteramibus_ sp.), mullet (_Multius_ sp.), pike (_Escox lucius_), & & \\ plain bonito (_Orcynopsis unicolor_), poor scad (_Trisportus imultus_), Portuguese & - & - & 1.0 \\ dogfish (_Centroscrumso coolelepis_), rays (_Raja_ sp.), reddish (_Sebasles marrinus_, & & & \\ _S. mentella_, _S. vi viipurrus_), sail fish (_Istoiphorus platyterus_), scabbard fish (_Lepidoptera caudatus_, _Aphanopus carbo_), seabream, pandora (_Pagellus_ sp.), shark & & \\ (all species), snake mackerel or butterfish (_Lepidocybium flavobrunneumum_, _Ruvettus pretiosus_, _Gemyilus serpens_), and sturgeon (_Aciensen_ sp.) & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: Maximum limits of lead, cadmium, and mercury in foods of animal origin (1881/2006/EC Regulation) [133]. However, this regulation was repealed in 2023, and a newer one came into force with modifications to certain maximum limits (ML) [134]. Based on the scientific literature and results, the modification of the ML of environmental contaminants to more rigorous values is necessary and important to ensure food safety for human consumers. The acceptable maximum concentrations of lead in the offal are differentiated based on animal species. The previous ML of Pb was 0.50 mg/kg in the offal of food-producing animals (bovine, sheep, pig, poultry) [133]. The newer MLs of Pb in offal are lower, which are 0.10 mg/kg for poultry, 0.15 mg/kg for pigs, and 0.20 mg/kg for bovine animals and sheep (Table 3) [134]. However, this regulation was repealed in 2023, and a newer one came into force with modifications to certain maximum limits (ML) [134]. Based on the scientific literature and results, the modification of the ML of environmental contaminants to more rigorous values is necessary and important to ensure food safety for human consumers. The acceptable maximum concentrations of lead in the offal are differentiated based on animal species. The previous ML of Pb was 0.50 mg/kg in the offal of food-producing animals (bovine, sheep, pig, poultry) [133]. The newer MLs of Pb in offal are lower, which are 0.10 mg/kg for poultry, 0.15 mg/kg for pigs, and 0.20 mg/kg for bovine animals and sheep (Table 3) [134].