Pesticide residues in baby food
The European Commission has submitted stringent draft rules on pesticide residues in baby food to the Standing Committee for Foodstuffs, proposing a limit value 0.01 mg of pesticide residue per kg. The Commission's proposal would add new provisions to Directive 96/4/EC on infant formulae and follow-on formulae, and to Directive 96/5/EC on processed cereal-based and baby food for infants and young children, in order to ensure that baby food contains no detectable levels of pesticide residues. Two reasons prompted the Commission to harmonise the limit values at this level. These include the fact that the existing differences between the regulations in the Member States have caused trade barriers and the fact that the Scientific Committee for Food revised its earlier opinion that a limit value of 0.04 mg/kg gave no cause for concern and recommended a cautious approach. The value set in the proposal has been taken as a precaution so that no acute health hazard would ensue if it were exceeded slightly. A limit value of zero was considered to be below the limit of detection because of the slight inaccuracies in the measurement methods available. The proposal to amend the Directives will be submitted to the Standing Committee for Foodstuffs, which is made up of representatives of the Member States. If it is approved by a qualified majority there, the Commission may then adopt the amended Directives, if not the proposal will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for a decision.