Chocolate, fish and other foods, safer
The maximum levels of cadmium in chocolate and mercury in fish, as well as residues of pesticides and antibiotics were defined this week by experts and world leaders meeting in Italy.
New rules to protect the health of consumers were adopted by the international food standards body known as the Codex Alimentarius Commission during its annual session that ended this Friday.
The Commission, established more than 50 years ago by the UN Fund for Food and Agriculture (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), coordinates the contributions of almost 190 countries and the European Union and seeks to ensure that People can trust the safety and quality of the food they eat.
Hundreds of leaders meet annually for a week to adopt new standards, guidelines, codes of practice and other recommendations that make up the Codex Alimentarius (Latin for Food Code) and address issues such as contaminants, pesticides, health claims and nutrition labeling. The objective is to protect the consumer's health and guarantee fair practices in the food trade.
Representatives from almost 120 countries and 70 organizations attended the meeting this year. Guilherme da Costa of Brazil, who was re-elected as the president of the Commission, asked the delegates to form a consensus to set standards.
"It is essential that we do everything we can to further develop and disseminate Codex standards in order to ensure food safety and quality for everyone everywhere," he said.
Mercury in fish
To reduce exposure to methylmercury, the Commission established limits for several species of fish, ranging from 1.2 to 1.7 mg per kg of fish. This includes no more than 1.2 mg of methylmercury per kg of tuna, 1.5 mg per kg of alfonsino, 1.7 mg per kg of marlin and 1.6 mg per kg of shark.
Mercury can have toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems of humans, and on the lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.
"We are particularly concerned about the pollution of fish to mercury levels in the sea, partly due to natural pollution, that is, mercury was already in the environment and then dissolved in the oceans, and partly also due to industry emissions, "said Tom Heilandt, Secretary of the Commission.
"It can also enter the body, even through the hair, and it may affect the fetus of a pregnant woman, and that can be really bad for the baby," he added.
Cadmium in chocolate
In 2010, the Joint Committee of Experts on Food Additives of FAO established a safe monthly intake of cadmium for humans of 25 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. On the basis of this evaluation, in an effort to reduce exposure, the Commission set limits for cadmium in different types of chocolate of 0.8 or 0.9 mg per kg of chocolate, depending on the cocoa content.
Cocoa beans, which are used in the production of chocolate, can absorb cadmium from soil and water. In some cases, cocoa beans may have high levels of this chemical element, which can be stored in the human body for a long time. Its intake is related to kidney damage.
Lead in food
The Commission reduced the limits for lead in a series of foods: not more than 0.04 mg of lead per kilogram of grape juice or more than 0.08 mg per kilogram for edible fats and oils (eg margarine). As regards mango and salt, the maximum limits of 0.4 and 1 per kilo, respectively.
Lead is a chemical that exists in the environment, even in air and water, and can be absorbed by soil plants. Exposure to high levels of lead is harmful to human health. Babies and young children are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead, which can affect their brain development.
Dioxins
A new code of practice was also adopted to reduce dioxins and similar substances in food and feed.
These chemicals are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment that can enter the food chain and have negative effects on human health. These can accumulate in the tissues of food-producing animals and in fish, and can be found in products such as milk and eggs.
In fact, people are exposed to dioxins and related compounds mainly through the consumption of foods of animal origin, with approximately 90% of the total exposure through fats in fish, meat and dairy products.
The code of practice was updated to include provisions for the management of non-dioxin-like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), after a detailed risk assessment,
The review covers the entire food chain, including good feeding practices. The code is intended for national authorities, farmers, feed and food manufacturers to prevent or reduce contamination by dioxins and PCBs.
Pesticide limits
Maximum residue limits were adopted for more than 26 pesticides in various foods and feeds.
Pesticides are chemicals used to kill insects, weeds and other pests to prevent them from damaging crops. Even when used in accordance with best practices, your waste may end up in the food.
The maximum limits of 26 pesticides are aimed at ensuring that their waste does not harm the health of people and is based on risk assessments.
Maximum limits of antibiotics
The commission also established the maximum limits for antibiotics that are used in food-producing animals. Those of amoxicillin and ampicillin are 50 micrograms per kilo for fish.
The lunefenuron is 1350 micrograms per kilo of trout and salmon and the monepantel for cattle is 7000 micrograms per kilo of fat, 1000 per kidney, 2000 per liver and 300 for the muscle.
