Consumer tips on health and food safety

Hände die verschiedenes Gemüse auf einem Schneidebrett schneiden

Pursuant to section 13 (5) of the Food and Feed Code, the Federal Environment Ministry has lead responsibility for the prevention of risks to consumers arising from foodstuffs which were exposed to air, soil or water contaminants (known as environmental contaminants).

These contaminants, also called “undesirable substances”, include environmental contaminants such as the heavy metals lead, cadmium and mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, other organochlorine compounds and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Under German law, only food that is safe may be sold in Germany. Responsibility for the safety of food lies with the food business operators who produce, transport, store or sell the food. The competent food inspection authorities of the federal states regularly monitor compliance with the relevant legal provisions.

However, not all food that is consumed is subject to official monitoring. This includes food that is not sold commercially, such as fruits and vegetables from household gardens, mushrooms picked in the wild or freshwater fish caught for personal consumption. Nevertheless, consumers can play their own part in reducing individual intake of undesirable substances through food.

A balanced and varied diet is often the best way to minimise the unavoidable intake of undesirable substances through food.

The following consumer tips provide additional guidance for the general public to help individually reduce the intake of environmental contaminants through food.

Limit consumption of wild mushrooms

Gelbe Pilze in einem Korb

The lead, cadmium, mercury and even radionuclide content in wild mushrooms can be much higher than in farmed mushrooms like button mushrooms or in other plant-based food. Regular consumption of wild mushrooms should not exceed 200 to 250 grams per week (based on the wet weight) for adults. Children should eat less depending on their body weight. However, even larger quantities of fresh wild mushrooms do not pose a risk if only consumed occasionally.

Eat fish with relatively low mercury content if pregnant or breastfeeding

Fischfilet

Fish is an important source of nutrients and should be an integral part of our diet. Fish can be contaminated with mercury to varying degrees depending on water pollution levels, the age and the species of fish. Mercury levels in predatory fish are generally higher than in non-predatory fish.

EU legislation defines maximum levels of mercury for fish and fisheries products. As long as these maximum levels, which are monitored by the food inspection authorities of the federal states, are not exceeded, health risks for the general public with typical eating habits are very unlikely. However, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding as well as their unborn and newborn babies are especially at risk from the toxic effects of mercury. For this reason, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are advised to mainly consume fish with comparatively low mercury levels and avoid the following types of fish (and products made from them) that potentially contain more mercury on the German market: shark (also sold as “Schillerlocken”, or strips of smoked dogfish), escolar, eel, spined loach, swordfish, Atlantic and Greenland halibut, pike, monkfish, tuna and Atlantic redfish.

Follow regional advice on freshwater fish caught for personal consumption

Angeler auf See. for further information see image caption

Stable compounds such as dioxins and PCBs have been accumulating in riverbeds for many years. As a result, wild fish in rivers can still ingest considerable amounts of harmful substances like dioxins and PCBs through the food chain. This is why freshwater fish still contain high levels of contaminants even though significantly fewer dioxins and PCBs are discharged into the environment today than in the past. Dioxins and PCBs accumulate in the fatty tissue of fish as they are particularly persistent and highly soluble in fat. Eels are particularly fatty fish. Dioxin and PCB levels exceeding the legally permitted maximum levels are quite often found in freshwater fish. People who fish (and their families) should therefore check the contamination level of fish in the respective river sections with the competent federal state authorities.

Current data from official monitoring activities are now being examined to assess whether and how consumer tips should reflect the potential levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in these foods. In 2020, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a health assessment and specified the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for four PFAS compounds, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS). On the basis of new scientific studies, a TWI of 4.4 nanograms per kilogram (ng/kg) of body weight was identified for the sum of the four PFAS compounds which EFSA considers to have the greatest impact in terms of exposure through food.

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) reviewed the TWI of 4.4 ng/kg per week derived by EFSA for the sum of the four long-chain compounds PFOS, PFOA, PFNA and PFHxS and recommends using this TWI for future assessments of PFAS levels for the four compounds in foods (BfR Opinion no. 020/2021 issued 28 June 2021 “PFAS in food: BfR confirms critical exposure to industrial chemicals”). In addition to meat and meat products, fish and fisheries products are among the food types with the highest exposure levels.

Since 1 January 2023, maximum levels for PFAS apply for certain foodstuffs. Maximum levels were set for the first time for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and for the sum of these four PFAS for eggs, fish, fishery products, bivalve molluscs, crustaceans, meat, game and offal. On 25 May 2023, Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 of 25 April 2023 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 entered into force and took over all previously published maximum levels for PFAS in foodstuffs.

As is the case with dioxins, freshwater fish tend to exhibit relatively high levels of PFAS, which can vary greatly from region to region. People who fish and their families should check the contamination level of fish in the respective river sections with the competent federal state authorities. A number of federal states provide guidance to fishers on their websites.

What to be aware of if you eat offal

Reh im Wald

Offal from wild game

In contrast to the offal of many farmed animals, which show decreasing levels of heavy metal contamination, offal from wild game, such as rabbits, deer and wild boar, may be significantly contaminated with heavy metals and also with dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Maximum levels have been laid down for meat from specific wild game in Regulation (EU) 2023/915, however to date only maximum levels for PFAS have been set for offal from wild game.

As a general rule, the offal of wild game should only be consumed occasionally. In particular, wild boar liver or other offal of wild boar may also show high levels of PFAS, such as perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as well as dioxins and PCBs, and can significantly contribute to overall exposure to these substances. This is why the Federal Environment Ministry advises against eating offal from wild boar on a regular basis. As a precaution, women of childbearing age, including women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and children should avoid eating offal from wild boar.

Sheep liver

The term sheep liver is a collective term which refers to liver from lambs and adult ewes and rams. To date, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has collected 140 results of sheep liver samples from six different federal states. The levels of dioxins and PCBs are very high in most of the samples, with the majority exceeding the maximum levels set by the EU. The BfR therefore recommends refraining from the consumption of sheep liver as a precaution.

Canned cod liver in oil

Studies have shown that canned cod liver in oil often contains high levels of dioxins and PCBs. In early July 2008, an EU-wide maximum level (limit value) of 25 picograms per gram wet weight in total was introduced for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in fish liver and fish liver products. This maximum level was replaced in January 2012 with a maximum value of 20 picogrammes per gram wet weight – the same was done for the total of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs. However, even this lower maximum level does not ensure consumer health protection in cases of regular consumption of cod liver in oil, since at current exposure levels an exceedance of the tolerable intake for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs cannot be ruled out. In the interest of preventive health protection, the consumption of cod liver in oil (usual size of a portion of 150 grams) should therefore be restricted to a maximum of every two months.

This consumer tip is under review as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) established a new health-based guidance value for dioxins and PCBs in 2018 in response to new toxicological findings. As part of its assessment, EFSA recommended re-evaluating the relative toxicity (toxicity equivalents) of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs. The findings of this new evaluation are expected by the end of 2023, after which existing maximum levels in the EU will be reviewed and discussed.

Last updated: 13.10.2023

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