EFSA – Update of the DHT Dioxins and PCBs

The Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) adopted on 30 May 2001 an opinion on dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in food, setting a tolerable weekly intake (TWI/DHT) of 14pg TEQ/kg body weight (bw) for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs.

EFSA confirmed the conclusion of previous assessments that dietary exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs is a health concern.

Data collected in Europe indicate that the recently updated EFSA tolerable intake for all age groups has been exceeded.

The main foodstuffs contributing to the exposure of these substances are fish (especially fatty fish), cheese and meat.

The expert group therefore defined a new tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in food at 2pg/kg body weight, which is seven times lower than the TWI set in 2001.

The decrease in DHT is based on the collection of new epidemiological and experimental data, in particular on toxicity in animals, as well as new modelling techniques to estimate the quantities of these substances in the human body over time.

Attached is EFSA’s full Scientific Opinion: Risk for animal and human health related to the presence of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in feed and food