Dioxins and PCBs
Maximum permitted levels in seafood
The requirement is for the seafood product to comply with 3 maximum levels:
- The sum of polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), expressed in World Health Organisation (WHO) toxic equivalents using the WHO-TEFs (toxic equivalency factors, 2005);
- The sum of dioxins, furans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), defined as the sum of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs, expressed in the WHO-TEFs; and
- The sum of the 6 PCB congeners listed in the third column below, expressed using the WHO-TEFs.
The table of maximum permitted levels as it applies to seafood is as follows:
|
Seafood product |
Maximum permitted level |
||
|
Sum of dioxins(WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ) |
Sum of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs (WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ) |
Sum of PCB28, PCB52, PCB101, PCB138, PCB153 and PCB180 |
|
|
Muscle meat of fish and fishery products and products thereof, with the exemption of:
Where fish are intended to be eaten whole, the maximum level l applies to the whole fish. The maximum level for crustaceans applies to muscle meat from appendages and abdomen. In case of crabs and crab-like crustaceans (Brachyura and Anomura) it applies to muscle meat from appendages. |
3.5 pg/g wet weight |
6.5 pg/g wet weight |
75 ng/g wet weight |
|
Muscle meat of wild caught fresh water fish, with the exception of diadromous fish species caught in fresh water, and products thereof. Where fish are intended to be eaten whole, the maximum level shall apply to the whole fish. |
3.5 pg/g wet weight |
6.5 pg/g wet weight |
125 ng/g wet weight |
|
Muscle meat of wild caught eel (Anguilla anguilla) and products thereof |
3.5 pg/g wet weight |
10.0 pg/g wet weight |
300 ng/g wet weight |
|
Fish liver and derived products thereof with the exception of marine oils referred to below. In the case of canned fish liver, the maximum applies to the whole of the edible content. |
- |
20.0 pg/g wet weight |
200 ng/g wet weight |
|
Marine oil (fish body oil, fish liver oil and oils of other marine organisms intended for human consumption) |
1.75 pg/g wet weight |
6.0 pg/g wet weight |
200 ng/g wet weight |
Relevant legislation: Commission Regulation 1881/2006 as amended most recently by Commission Regulation 1259/2011. Methods of sampling and analysis are given in Regulation 252/2012.
Further information
Finland, Sweden and Latvia are exempted from the dioxin regulation for some named species originating in the Baltic Sea. This is because dioxin levels are high in the Baltic Sea and the current regime would have denied these two countries an important part of their diet.
There is also an EU recommendation (2011/516/EU) on the reduction of the presence of dioxins, furans and PCBs in feed and food. It sets out action levels for certain food sources, including farmed fish, to encourage member states to proactively reduce dioxin levels. When these contaminants occur in wild caught fish, the reason is general environmental pollution rather than a point source; therefore, no action levels have been set for wild caught fish.
Facts on dioxins on the FSA's Eatwell website
Back to Contaminants - legislation