The new “Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 of 25 April 2023 on maximum permitted levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006” was published on 5 May 2023 in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force on 25 May 2023.
After 16 years and almost 50 amendments, Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 is repealed and replaced by Regulation (EU) 2023/915. The rationale for the replacement, as stated in the new Regulation, is on the one hand the experience already gained with regard to substances that contaminate food and their maximum permitted levels and on the other hand the many amendments that have already occurred and the new ones that are about to occur. In order to improve the readability of the rules and to avoid the use of numerous footnotes, as is now the case in the previous Regulation, it is appropriate to replace them, as has been the case with other European Regulations and Directives.
Some of the changes highlighted by the new Regulation are that in order to ensure effective protection of public health, foods containing contaminants exceeding the maximum permitted levels should not only not be placed on the market as such, but should also not be used as food ingredients or mixed with food.
Furthermore, in order to minimise the impact on trade, it is appropriate to allow higher levels of contaminants for certain products which are not placed on the market for the final consumer or as an ingredient in foodstuffs. In those cases, the maximum permitted levels for contaminants should be set in the light of the effectiveness of those treatments in reducing the contaminant content of foodstuffs to levels lower than the maximum permitted levels set for those products placed on the market for the final consumer or used as an ingredient in foodstuffs.
The maximum permitted levels, as currently laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, as amended, should be maintained by this Regulation.
In order to ensure a smooth transition between Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 and the new Regulation (EU) No 2023/915 , it is appropriate to maintain the transitional measures as regards those maximum levels now covered by the new Regulation, which remain in force.
BIOCHEMIKI Analytical Laboratories can help you to carry out chemical analyses on your raw materials and products, both for food contaminants such as those mentioned in the new Regulation (EU) 2023/915 and for a multitude of other parameters. Contact us to get a quote that meets your needs.
