Contaminants: monitoring recommendation for nickel

The Commission published a Recommendation (EU) 2024/907 on the monitoring of nickel in food. Based on the Commission Recommendation (EU) 2016/1111 EFSA was able to derive that nickel may cause both chronic and acute effects. On the basis of the critical chronic effect of pregnancy loss, a tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 13 μg/kg bw. However, for some foods, which are relevant contributors to the exposure to nickel, insufficient occurrence data were available to allow to determine the appropriate maximum levels. Therefore, further occurrence data should be collected for those foods. In particular, in order to establish the contribution of different species of fish and other seafood to the nickel content of baby food, fish and other seafood used for the manufacture of such food should be monitored.

Therefore the Commission recommends:

Member States, in collaboration with food business operators, should monitor during the years 2025, 2026 and 2027 the presence of nickel in food.

The monitoring should include nut spreads, cereal based products (in particular, breakfast cereals, cereal flakes and oat milling products), oilseeds, nuts, fish and other seafood and some other food products.

Member States should, where needed, gather knowledge on mitigation measures for the reduction of nickel levels in food. Member States should also ensure that known mitigation methods are effectively communicated and promoted to farmers and food business operators and that these mitigation measures are progressively implemented by farmers and food business operators.

The sampling procedures and the analyses should be performed in accordance with the requirements for sampling and analysis laid down in Regulation (EC) No 333/2007.

Member States and food business operators should provide the monitoring data to EFSA on a regular basis, together with the information and in the electronic reporting format as set out by EFSA, for compilation into one database.

More information: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202400907

Contact: ksaari@frucom.eu