Review of controls for radioactive contamination of food in the EU.

In 1987, the Council passed Regulation (EURATOM) 3954/87 which documented the maximum levels of radioactive contamination of food. The regulation was in response to the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in April of 1986. The accident released radioactive material into the atmosphere of several European countries. The regulation spelled out the procedure for determining the maximum permitted levels of radioactive contamination. Article 5 of the regulation states that whenever new scientific data becomes available, the levels stated in Annex 1 will be updated. The products listed in Annex 1 are baby food, dairy products, other foodstuffs, liquid foodstuffs and feedingstuffs. However, only dairy products and other foodstuffs had maximum levels listed.

Commission Regulation 944/89 amended Regulation 3954/87 by adding a list of minor foodstuffs. The maximum level to be applied to minor foodstuffs are 10 times those applicable to “other foodstuffs except minor foodstuffs” in the Annex to Regulation 3954/87.

Regulation 3954/87 was further amended in July of 1989 by Regulation 2218/89. Regulation 2218/98 expanded the Annex from the original regulation. Maximum levels were listed for baby foods and liquid foodstuffs.

Regulation 770/90 amended the original regulation by listing the maximum levels for feedingstuffs.

The original regulation, 3955/87, only applied until March 31, 1990. In response to this expiration date, the Council passed Regulation 737/90, which gave the conditions for importing agriculture products from third countries. There were still concerns about the levels of radioactive contamination in agriculture products as a result of the Chernobyl accident. So Regulation 737/90 extended the levels in the original regulation. Annex I of the regulation lists products deemed unfit for human consumption. Article 8 of the regulation states that the regulation shall expire in March of 1995, unless the Council decides it should be extended.

Regulation 616/2000 did just that. It was determined that the physical half-life is about 30 years, so the regulation extended the original regulation (737/90).

In July of 2000, it was determined that the majority of agriculture products being imported from third countries were free of radioactive contamination. Council Regulation 1609/2000 listed those products that would still be monitored under Regulation 737/90. All products not listed in the Annex were excluded from Regulation 737/90.

Regulation 737/90 was further amended by Regulation 1661/01. It is noted in this regulation that forest and wooded areas seem to retain radioactive contamination and are the natural habitat for uncultivated mushrooms. Based on this, mushrooms listed in Annex I from countries listed in Annex IV of the regulation must be sampled and analyzed according to Article 3 (b).