Limit values for the radioactive contamination of food

EU limit values for food imports from Japan

On 26 March 2011, the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 297/2011 (pdf file, 756 Kbyte, external link) imposing special conditions governing the import of feed and food from Japan entered into force. It is binding for all EU Member States and originally had a validity of three months. This regulation is the prerequisite for carrying out food and feed controls at the EU's external borders. Its aim is to ensure that Member States test food imported from Japan and submit the data to the Commission, enabling the Commission to keep track of the situation and, if necessary, react accordingly. The regulation uses the maximum permitted levels of Regulation (EURATOM) No 3954/87 (maximum levels regulation) as reference levels. In Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 351/2011, adopted in April, the levels were aligned with the limit values applicable in Japan. This allows authorities to determine whether the placing on the European market of food and feed from Japan is acceptable. On 25 May 2011 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 506/2011 of 23 May 2011 (pdf file, 751 KB, external link) entered into force. It prolonged the period of application of Regulation (EU) No 297/2011 in the amended version to 30 September 2011 and extended the official controls to foodstuffs from a further Japanese province. The implementing regulations were passed under the main responsibility of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO) and approved by the Directorate General for Energy (DG ENERGY).
The maximum levels apply to caesium and the radioactive isotopes of plutonium, iodine and strontium. These are the nuclides released in a nuclear accident which are used as benchmarks for assessing the contamination of food.
The original regulation on maximum permitted levels, Regulation (EURATOM) No 3954/87, was not used as a basis for an EU implementing regulation. The definition of maximum levels under this regulation was designed for cases of nuclear accidents that could pose a threat to food supply in Europe. The situation at the Fukushima nuclear power plant is no such case.
Implementing Regulations (EU) No 297/2011 and No 506/2011 are rather geared towards short-term exposure and a limited range of foodstuffs from Japan. Only small amounts of food are imported into the EU from Japan. These imports basically do not include fresh food such as meat, vegetables or milk. From a radiological point of view, the temporary application of the values of the regulation laying down maximum permitted levels is considered safe.
According to present knowledge, a general ban on imports for products from Japan is not necessary.

Chernobyl Regulation

The Chernobyl Regulation, which was adopted after the nuclear accident in Chernobyl and which remains in force in Europe, is entirely independent of the above-mentioned regulations. The currently codified version of Council Regulation (EC) No 733/2008 on the conditions governing imports of agricultural products originating in third countries following the accident at the Chernobyl power station applies to food which is still contaminated by radioactive caesium (caesium-134 and caesium-137) as a consequence of the Chernobyl accident. The main cause for concern here is caesium-137: because of its half-life of 30 years, more than half of the original radioactivity is still present. Other radionuclides are irrelevant and do not require regulation. Groups of food which are still affected in Germany include game (especially wild boar), mushrooms and berries from forests. The Chernobyl Regulation was drawn up to address long-term contamination.

Although the competent German authorities agree in their assessment that the currently applicable limit values protect people in Germany and Europe from health risks, it is hard to explain the various European limit values of the different EU regulations to consumers in Europe. Therefore the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection feel that harmonisation is needed.

For reasons of transparency, feasibility and administrative enforcement it would make sense to agree on a uniform level of limit values to be applied throughout Europe.