Food System

Dioxins and PCBs in food, the great hoax

December 4, 2022

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Regulation (EU) no. 2022/2002 – in partial reform of reg. EC 1881/2006 on food contaminants-reduces maximum levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in certain food products. As well as extending its application to some hitherto unconsidered foods. (1)

However, the new contamination thresholds set in Brussels contradict the serious and current risk analysis performed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Eurocrats thus favor agribusiness lobbies, at the expense of public health. The big hoax.

Table of Contents

1) Dioxins and PCBs. Foreword

Dioxins and PCBs are environmental contaminants that are very harmful to health. Dioxins are chlorinated organic compounds formed during combustion processes (e.g., household and industrial waste). They spread through the environment via the air, accumulate in soils and waters, and persist in the environment for a long time.

PCBs have been widely used for various purposes (e.g., plasticizers in paints, sealants and plastics, non-combustible liquids in heat exchangers, transformers and electrical capacitors). Twelve PCBs have mechanisms of action and biological effects similar to dioxins (dioxin-like PCBs).

1.2) Environmental and food contamination

The sale of materials with PCBs has been banned in several countries since the 1980s, but they still remain in the environment-in soils especially-because of their widespread use in building materials and equipment.

Foods of animal origin (meat, fish and shellfish, eggs, milk) are the main source of human exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs. These substances are in fact fat-soluble and accumulate in animal fats.

2) Public health risks

Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs are toxic chemicals with carcinogenic and genotoxic actions, in addition to being endocrine disruptors. Their exposure is related to chronic effects to the detriment of reproductive functions and hormone balance, the immune and nervous systems.

EFSA(European Food Safety Authority), in 2018, reduced by 7 times the permissible weekly intake at the time specified by the Scientific Committee for Food (European Commission, 2001). Detecting average and high European population exposure levels, up to 5-15 times higher than this threshold. (2)

WHO, World Health Organization, is in turn reviewing theToxic Equivalence Factors (TEFs) established in 2005), in light of new in vivo and in vitro data, particularly on PCB-126. The revision work is expected to be completed in 2023.

2.1) Sources of dietary exposure.

The main sources of dietary exposure of European citizens to dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs indicated by EFSA are, respectively, for different age groups:

– children and adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Fatty fish (contributing up to 56%), unspecified” fish meat (up to 53.4%), livestock meat (up to 33.8%), cheese (up to 21.8%),

– young children. Meats (7.7-16.2%), cheese (5.9-21.8%), fatty fish (5.9-13.9%),

– infants. Butter (6.1-19.6%), fatty fish (5.8-26.3%). (2)

3) The new rules

Reg. EU 2022/2002 recalls the tolerable weekly intake of 2 pg TEQ(toxic equivalence)/kg body weight, for the sum of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs, established by EFSA. Better late than never, four years after identifying concrete and serious public health risks. And so:

– Introduces maximum levels of dioxins and the sum of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs on meat and meat products obtained from goats, horses, rabbit, wild boar, game birds, and deer. As well as livers of goats, horses and game birds,

– extends to the muscle of the abdomen of crabs and similar crustaceans, ‘particularly the Chinese crab,’ the thresholds already provided for the muscle of their claws,

– Extends the maximum content stipulated for chicken eggs to all poultry eggs, except goose eggs,

– reduces the maximum levels of dioxins and the sum of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in milk and dairy products. (1)

4) The big hoax

The European Commission in fact disregards the risk analysis performed in 2018 by EFSA, with a mocking excuse. Although EFSA is the Reference Authority for any scientific assessment of food safety in the EU, DG Sante reports that it will wait for ‘thecompletion of the review‘ of the tolerable thresholds for dioxins and PCBs by WHO (EU reg. 2022/2002, Recital 5).

The Eurocrats’ great hoax on the citizens of Europe is soon revealed by observing the following:

– EFSA reduced by 7 times the Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI) on the basis of which maximum levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in various food categories had been set,

– EFSA pointed out that the TWI was exceeded by Europeans by up to 5-15 times. Pointing to fatty fish, cattle meat, and cheese as prime sources of dietary exposure, (3)

– however, the European Commission took no action on fatty fish and limited itself to a ‘cosmetic’ reduction in the maximum levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in meat (from 4.5 to 4.0 pg/g, on fat) and cheese (from 6.0 to 4.0 pg/g, on fat).

5) Interim Conclusions

Food products ‘legally placed on the market before January 1 1, 2023 may remain on the market until their minimum shelf life or expiration date‘ (EU Reg. 2022/2002, Art. 2).

DG Sante in Brussels continues the great hoax. Chemical contaminants remain out of control, in the cases of dioxins and PCBs as in those of acrylamide and BPA, just to name a couple of examples. In addition to allergens, which also afflict nearly 10 percent of the population. (4)

While waiting to see the fateful European ‘Restriction Roadmap‘ implemented, the current Italian government should also be reminded of the toxic sludge emergency in agriculture, which the first Conte government legitimized in 2018 (5.6).

Dario Dongo

Notes

(1) Reg. (EU) 2022/2002, Amending Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 regarding maximum levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in certain foodstuffs https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/IT/TXT/?qid=1670231443013&uri=CELEX%3A32022R2002

(2) EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain, CONTAM Panel. (2018). Scientific Opinion on the risk for animal and human health related to the presence of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in feed and food. EFSA Journal 2018;16(11):5333, 331 pp. https://doi. org/10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5333

(3) Institute of Food Science and Technology (2020). Dioxins and Dioxin-like Compounds in Foods and Feeds https://www.ifst.org/resources/information-statements/dioxins-and-dioxin-compounds-foods-and-feeds

(4) Dario Dongo. False alerts, passing the buck, abuses of power and social disasters. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 2.7.22

(5) Marta Strinati. Dangerous chemicals, the European Commission’s Restrictions Roadmap. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 3.5.22

(6) Dario Dongo. Toxic sludge in the Genoa decree, repeal now. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 24.12.18