Challenges in analyzing polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in food and feed in the light of the considerable tolerable weekly intake reduction proposed by EFSA in 2018

Abstract

In November 2018, EFSA published a major risk assessment on the presence of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in feed and food, proposing updated tolerable weekly intake of 2 pg/kg b.w./week, which is a 7-fold decrease over the previous value. This will inevitably result in lowering maximum levels and action levels in food and feed. This paper reflects on the possible consequences of such changes in respect to analytical capabilities in general, and the effort required to ensure suitable performance of the presently available analytical methods. Considerations related to both instrumental and sample preparation aspects are presented, taking into account specific EU legislation in the area of analytical requirements and quality control of analytical methods for dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls. From the current perspective, it is obvious that any linear decrease of maximum levels and action levels is not feasible and would inevitably require some degree of mitigation of quality control requirements, at least for some food matrices that already have low maximum levels. A sustainable response to tolerable weekly intake decrease will most likely be the combination of gradual decrease of regulatory limits where achievable, inevitable technical progress in analytical instrumentation and adjustment of sample preparation techniques.