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EU Member States asked to voluntarily monitor some brominated flame retardants in food

On 29 November, an EU expert group[1] supported a European Commission Recommendation[2]to encourage EU Member States to monitor the presence of some brominated flame retardants[3] in food and feed over a two-year period.

The Recommendation aims to update the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) 6 Scientific Opinions on the presence of brominated flame retardants in food and feed[4] which were delivered in 2012. EFSA found that current dietary exposure in the European Union does not raise a health concern.

The Recommendation is voluntary and Member States can decide which of the listed brominated flame retardants to monitor and in which food categories.

BSEF companies support initiatives which further scientific understanding on brominated flame retardants, in this case so as to ensure that they do not adversely impact the safety of food nor feed. BSEF welcomes the proposed programme to generate new data. BSEF members also operate VECAP[5], a voluntary initiative to reduce potential emissions of flame retardants through responsible management.

 

 

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[1] The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Healthhttp://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/rc/scfcah/index_en.html

[2] European Commission Recommendation in the Official Journal, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2014:065:0039:0040:EN:PDF; any data received will be published in 2016

[3] PBDEs (47, 153, 209), HBCDDs, TBBPA, Brominated phenols and other derivatives and Emerging and Novel BFRs

[4] ESFA Panel on the Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) Scientific Opinion on Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Food  http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2156.htm; Scientific Opinion on Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBBs) in Foodhttp://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1789.htm; Scientific Opinion on Hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs) in Foodhttp://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2296.htm; Scientific Opinion on Tetrabromobisphenol A in Food http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/search/doc/2477.pdf; Scientific Opinion on Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) in Food: Brominated Phenols and their Derivatives  http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2634.htm Scientific Opinion on Emerging and Novel Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) in Foodhttp://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2908.htm

[5] Voluntary Emissions Control Action programme http://www.vecap.info/