The European Commission is considering tough
new measures to make sure that baby food contains negligible levels of pesticide
residues.
Draft rules on pesticide residues in baby food have been
submitted to the Standing Committee for Foodstuffs. In future, baby food may be
allowed to contain not more than 0.01 mg of pesticide residues per kg. A value
of zero is currently below the limit of detection because of the slight
inaccuracies in the measurement methods available. The proposal would involve
adding new provisions to Directive 96/4/EC on infant formulae and follow-on
formulae and to Directive 96/5/EC on processed cereal-based and baby foods for
infants and young children. This would also harmonise the different legislation
currently existing in Member States.
The Commission decided to consider harmonising the limit
values to extremely stringent levels for two reasons. Firstly, in the past the
differences between the regulations in the Member States have caused trade
barriers. Secondly, at the end of 1997 the Scientific Committee for Food revised
its earlier opinion that a limit value of 0.04 mg/kg gave no cause for concern
and recommended a cautious approach. This proposal from the Commission brings
the standards up to those in the Member States that already have strict
legislation on residues in baby food (Austria, Belgium, Germany and
Luxembourg).
The Commission has set the value at 0.01 mg/kg as a
precaution so that no acute health hazard would ensue even if it was slightly
exceeded. On the basis of the latest scientific opinion the Commission
considered a prudent approach appropriate. For the vast majority of the 800 or
more different pesticides notified to the Commission, no scientific data are yet
available on the maximum residue levels known to be harmless for infants. The
Directives allow different levels to be set for residues of individual
pesticides in the future as soon as warranted by new scientific findings.
About 40% of the products on the European market meet the
proposed limit value already. Other manufacturers will, however, need time to
adjust their supplies, manufacturing processes and raw material sources in order
to meet these lower limits. According to the Commission, they must therefore be
allowed an appropriate transition period. For this reason, trade in products
which do not comply with the Directives will not be banned definitively until 31
December 2001.
The Baby Milk Action Group is concerned that infant formula
manufacturers should not be able to advertise any extra marketing gain from
these measures.
The proposal to amend these two Directives will be submitted
to the Standing Committee on Foodstuffs, which is made up of representatives of
the Member States. If it is approved by a qualified majority, the Commission may
then adopt the Directives. If not, the Commission will submit the proposals to
the Council of Ministers for a decision.
European Commission, IP/98/899, 14 October 1998.
[This
article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 42,
December 1998, page 17]