Commission Regulation (EU) No 258/2010 of 25 March 2010 imposing special conditions on the imports of guar gum originating in or consigned from India due to contamination risks by pentachlorophenol and dioxins, and repealing Decision 2008/352/EC (Text with EEA relevance)

26.3.2010 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 80/28
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 258/2010
of 25 March 2010
imposing special conditions on the imports of guar gum originating in or consigned from India due to contamination risks by pentachlorophenol and dioxins, and repealing Decision 2008/352/EC
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety (1), and in particular Article 53(1)(b)(ii) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Article 53(1) of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 provides for the possibility to adopt appropriate emergency measures for food and feed imported from a third country in order to protect public health, animal health or the environment, where the risk cannot be contained satisfactorily by means of measures taken by the Member States individually.
(2) In July 2007, high levels of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and dioxins have been found in the EU in certain batches of guar gum originating in or consigned from India. Such contamination constitutes a threat to public health within the European Union if no measures are taken to avoid the presence of pentachlorophenol and dioxins in guar gum.
(3) In response to this finding of elevated levels of PCP and dioxins, the Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission (FVO) carried out an urgent inspection visit to India in October 2007. The objective was to gather information on the possible source of the contamination and to assess the control measures put in place by the Indian authorities to avoid the re-occurrence of this contamination. The inspection team concluded that there was insufficient evidence of the cause of the contamination incident, and the investigation carried out by the Indian authorities was inadequate to provide any conclusions. With availability of sodium pentachlorophenolate and its use in the guar gum industry, and with a largely self regulated industry, there were inadequate controls in place to ensure that this contamination does not occur again.
(4) Therefore, Commission Decision 2008/352/EC of 29 April 2008 imposing special conditions governing guar gum originating in or consigned from India due to contamination risks of those products by pentachlorophenol and dioxins (2) provides that each consignment of guar gum and compound feedingstuffs and foodstuffs containing at least 10 % guar gum originating in or consigned from India, has to be accompanied by an original analytical report, endorsed by a representative of the competent authority from the country where the laboratory is located, demonstrating that the product does not contain more than 0,01 mg/kg PCP. The competent authorities in the Member States have to sample and analyse consignments of these products with a frequency of 5 % in order to verify that the level of 0,01 mg/kg PCP is not exceeded. The Community Reference Laboratory for Dioxins and PCBs in Feed and Food has carried out a study on the correlation between PCP and dioxins in contaminated guar gum from India. From this study it can be concluded that guar gum containing a level of PCP below the level of 0,01 mg/kg does not contain unacceptable levels of dioxins.
(5) A follow-up inspection mission of the FVO took place in October 2009 to assess the control measures put in place by the Indian authorities to prevent contamination of guar gum with PCP and dioxins and to follow-up the recommendations of the mission that took place in October 2007.
(6) Several serious deficiencies were observed during that inspection mission. The status of PCP in industrial use in India is not clear and at the time of the mission no evidence of any action being taken to stop its production or sale was presented. Samples are taken by the exporting private company without any official supervision. Non-conformities found by the laboratory at a frequency of about 2,5 % of samples analysed are notified to the exporting company without notifying the competent authority. As there was no knowledge on the part of the competent authority of these non-compliances, no action was taken regarding the non-conforming lots.
(7) The findings indicate that the contamination of guar gum with PCP and/or dioxins cannot be regarded as an isolated incident and that only the effective analysis by the approved private laboratory has prevented contaminated product being further exported to the European Union. Taking into account that there has been no improvement in the control system additional measures should be taken in order to reduce possible risks.
(8) Given that it cannot be excluded that guar gum originating in India is exported to the EU via another third country, it is appropriate to foresee random controls on the presence of PCP in guar gum consigned from countries other than India.
(9) Therefore, Decision 2008/352/EC should be amended accordingly. However, taking into account the nature of the amending provisions, which have a direct application and are binding in their entirety, it is appropriate to replace that Decision with a Regulation.
(10) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,