EFSA was asked by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) to deliver a scientific opinion on thepresence of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in commercially available foods forinfants and young children. It was requested to describe the relation of important parameters of the distributionof the occurrence data to the new EU maximum levels (MLs), and to assess whether these MLs are sufficient toaim to decrease the dietary exposure of infants and young children to dioxins and DL-PCBs. The CONTAMPanel did not perform an exposure or risk assessment, but evaluated whether the enforcement of the new EUMLs will result in a decrease in the concentration of dioxins and DL-PCBs in foods for infants and youngchildren, and thus in a potential decrease in exposure of this population group. A total of 516 samples wasincluded in the evaluation, reported by 13 European countries and covering the period 2003 to 2011. Allaccepted data (upper-bound) were below the current MLs for foods for infants and young children of 0.1 pgWHO2005-TEQ/g w.w. for dioxins and 0.2 pg WHO2005-TEQ/g w.w. for the sum of dioxins and DL-PCBs.Therefore, the CONTAM Panel concluded that, based on the available data, the current MLs are not an incentiveto decrease the concentrations of dioxins and DL-PCBs in the relevant foods. From the reported data, it is notpossible to conclude on any time trend concerning the dioxin and DL-PCB levels in foods for infants and youngchildren. The Panel recommended that more occurrence data on representative samples are needed, particularlyfor those foods for infants and young children where only a few results are available so far. Moreover, thesensitivity of the analytical methods should be improved, if lower MLs were to be considered in the future.presence of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in commercially available foods forinfants and young children. It was requested to describe the relation of important parameters of the distributionof the occurrence data to the new EU maximum levels (MLs), and to assess whether these MLs are sufficient toaim to decrease the dietary exposure of infants and young children to dioxins and DL-PCBs. The CONTAMPanel did not perform an exposure or risk assessment, but evaluated whether the enforcement of the new EUMLs will result in a decrease in the concentration of dioxins and DL-PCBs in foods for infants and youngchildren, and thus in a potential decrease in exposure of this population group. A total of 516 samples wasincluded in the evaluation, reported by 13 European countries and covering the period 2003 to 2011. Allaccepted data (upper-bound) were below the current MLs for foods for infants and young children of 0.1 pgWHO2005-TEQ/g w.w. for dioxins and 0.2 pg WHO2005-TEQ/g w.w. for the sum of dioxins and DL-PCBs.Therefore, the CONTAM Panel concluded that, based on the available data, the current MLs are not an incentiveto decrease the concentrations of dioxins and DL-PCBs in the relevant foods. From the reported data, it is notpossible to conclude on any time trend concerning the dioxin and DL-PCB levels in foods for infants and youngchildren. The Panel recommended that more occurrence data on representative samples are needed, particularlyfor those foods for infants and young children where only a few results are available so far. Moreover, thesensitivity of the analytical methods should be improved, if lower MLs were to be considered in the future.
