Call for continuous collection of chemical contaminants occurrence data in food and feed

Background

In the framework of Articles 23 and 33 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 EFSA has received from the European Commission a mandate (M-2010-0374) to collect all available data on the occurrence of chemical contaminants in food and feed. These data are used in EFSA’s scientific opinions and reports on contaminants in food and feed.

Occurrence data on plasticisers such as phthalates, structurally similar substances and replacement substances will also be collected by EFSA.

Results generated in the context of experimental studies on Food Contact Material (FCM) before their actual use, e.g. tests on migration of plasticisers from FCM using food/food simulants, or tests on concentration of plasticisers in FCM will be collected with an ad hoc collection that will be issued separately.

Submission of data

National food authorities, research institutions, academia, food business operators and other stakeholders are invited to submit data on occurrence of contaminants with a focus on the substances and related substances listed below. This list is not exhaustive: the full list of contaminants that can be reported and their corresponding codes are published with this call in the file ‘Contaminants_PARAM.xlsx’.

Priority list of chemical contaminants to support scientific opinions in progress

*Corresponds to the date where EFSA’s exposure assessors will extract the data to start the risk assessment. Data received after the indicated dates is unlikely to be considered in the ongoing scientific opinions but will be retained in the database for possible future scientific assessments.

Non-exhaustive list of chemical contaminants

Process Contaminants

• Furan, 2-methylfuran, 3-methylfuran, 2,5-dimethylfuran, 2-ethylfuran and 2-pentyfuran
• Acrylamide
• PAHs
• 3-MCPD, 3-MCPD esters, 2-MCPD esters and glycidyl esters
• Ethyl Carbamate

Organic contaminants

• Dioxins and PCBs
• Non dioxin-like PCBs
• Brominated Flame Retardants
• PFAS
• Chlorinated Paraffins
• Melamine and analogues
• Benzene
• Perchlorate

Inorganic

• Cadmium
• Lead
• Arsenic (inorganic and total)
• Mercury (methyl mercury and total mercury)
• Fluorine in feed
• Nitrates and Nitrites
• Inorganic tin
• Aluminium
• Nickel

Mycotoxins

• Aflatoxins (B1 in feed, B1, B2, G1 and G2 and Total in food, M1 in dairy)
• Ochratoxin A
• Deoxynivalenol (and acetylated derivatives and DON-3-glucoside)
• Zearalenone and modified forms
• Fumonisins and modified forms
• Alternaria toxins (alternariol, alternariol monomethyl ether, tenuazonic acid, tentoxin)
• Patulin
• T-2 and HT-2 and modified forms
• Nivalenol and modified forms
• Ergot sclerotia
• Ergot alkaloids
• Enniatins
• Sterigmatocystin
• Beauvericin
• Citrinin
• Moniliformin
• Diacetoxyscirpenol
• Phomopsins

Plant toxins

• Opium alkaloids
• Quinolizidine alkaloids
• Pyrrolizidine alkaloids
• Glucosinolates
• Glyco-alkaloids
• Tropane alkaloids
• Hydrocyanic acid
• Erucic acid
• Tetrahydrocannabinol
• Specific for feed
  • Free Gossypol
  • Theobromine
  • Ricin
  • Abrin
  • Crotin I

Organochlorine compounds specific for feed

• Aldrin
• Dieldrin
• Camphechlor
• Chlordane
• DDT
• Endosulfan
• Endrin
• Heptachlor
• Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)
• Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH-alpha, beta and gamma isomers)

Phthalates, structurally similar substances and replacement substances potentially used as plasticisers

• Phthalates
• Terephthalates
• Citrates
• Benzoates

How to submit data

Data must be submitted in electronic format (XML) to the EFSA Data Collection Framework (DCF) https://dcf.efsa.europa.eu/dcf-war/dc. User credentials are required to access the DCF web interface, please contact data.collection [at] efsa.europa.eu (data[dot]collection[at]efsa[dot]europa[dot]eu) to obtain the credentials.

EFSA will only accept data in SSD2 (Standard Sample Description version 2) format. In case data are compiled manually using the EFSA tools available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3714966 the XML file must be generated for direct submission to the DCF. A short video describing how to send data to EFSA is available here. The guidance ‘Chemical monitoring reporting Guidance: 2022 data collection’ should also be consulted for reporting requirements and is available https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/supporting/pub/en-7132.

The annual major release of the catalogues (31/01/2022) and SSD2 structural metadata can be downloaded from https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.779880Guidance on the installation and use of the EFSA Catalogue browser can be found at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/supporting/pub/en-1726

The DCF will open for the reporting of chemical contaminants occurrence data under the chemical monitoring data collection, from 1 April 2022 to 1 October 2022.

The communication below is not applicable to Member State competent authorities.

Please note that all confidentiality requests within the frame of this call for data, with the exception of ‘Bromine and bromide ion (FEED and FOOD)’, must be submitted separately via email to EFSA to confidentialityrequestassessment [at] efsa.europa.eu (confidentialityrequestassessment[at]efsa[dot]europa[dot]eu). The ground or legal basis for the confidentiality request and the justification must be provided as well as the name of the field/(s) for which a confidentiality request is made. Failure to submit the requested information will prevent EFSA from assessing the confidentiality request. As a consequence, all information submitted to EFSA will be made available to the public by EFSA in accordance with the provisions of Article 38(1).

Please note that for ‘Bromine and bromide ion (FEED and FOOD)’, confidentiality requests must be submitted exclusively via the Portalino (available here). Information on how to submit confidentiality requests and how to use this tool is available online here, and here. Whenever a confidentiality request is submitted, a non-confidential version and a confidential version of information claimed confidential must be submitted together with each confidentiality request. You are also required to box or earmark information claimed confidential in the confidential version of the information you share with EFSA. Finally, please note that confidentiality requests must be submitted or EFSA is required to proactively publish all information, documents and data already submitted without delay, pursuant to Article 38(1)(c) / 38(1)(d) of the GFL and Article 6(1) of EFSA’s Practical Arrangements of transparency and confidentiality. In case EFSA receives a new mandate for which data collected via this call will be used as a basis for EFSA’s outputs, EFSA will apply these same rules: data providers will be notified about the requirement to submit their confidentiality requests via the Portalino at least 3 months before the planned publication data of the output.

Contact details

Please address any technical enquiries regarding the reporting of data to data.collection [at] efsa.europa.eu (data[dot]collection[at]efsa[dot]europa[dot]eu)