Abstract National Food Monitoring Report 2007

Summary

The Food Monitoring Scheme is a system of repeated representative measurements and evaluations of levels of undesirable substances in and on foodstuffs, including residues of plant protection products, pesticides and veterinary drugs, heavy metals and other contaminants.

Food monitoring has been made up of two complementary analytic programmes since 2003. One consists in examination of foodstuffs selected from a market basket developed on the basis of a statistical analysis of dietary habits , with the aim to watch the situation of contamination and residues under representative sampling conditions. This is called market basket monitoring. The other programme consists in examination of particular problems in the framework of special projects, called project monitoring. In the framework of both programmes, a total of 4,955 samples of domestic and foreign origins were analysed in 2007.

The following foodstuffs were selected from the market basket:

Food of animal origin

• Beef
• Meat and fat tissue of wild boar
• Ham (air-cured, non-smoked)
• Bacon (raw, smoked)
• Honey

Food of vegetal origin

• Rye grains
• Cashew nut, pistachio, macadamia nut (roasted, salted), sweet chestnut
• Head lettuce, cos lettuce
• Pointed cabbage, Savoy cabbage
• Leek
• Tomato
• Small radish, long radish
• Oyster mushroom, cultivated champignon
• Strawberry
• Apple
• Peach, nectarine
• Kaki fruit
• Mango
• Apricot (dried)
• Currants, raisins, sultanas
• Yeast-cloud wheat beer, pils beer, dark beer
• Curry powder, nutmeg, chilli powder

Depending on what undesirable substances would be expected, the foods were analysed for residues of plant protection products (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides), veterinary drugs, contaminants (for instance, persistent organo-chlorine compounds, musk compounds, elements, nitrate, mycotoxins), and toxic reaction products.

Project monitoring dealt with the 10 following subjects:

• Residues of plant protection products in exotic fruits
• Analyses of single fruits of grapes for residues of plant protection products
• Ochratoxin A in roasted coffee (ground and whole beans)
• Boron in mineral waters
• Background contamination of various foods with dioxins and PCB
• Copper in organically produced foodstuffs
• Furan in baby and infant food
• 3-MCPD in poultry products
• Residues of plant protection products in kale
• Nitrate in herb tea

Interpretation of findings included a comparison with findings from previous years, where this was possible. Yet, we explicitly stress that all statements and evaluation about contamination of foodstuffs made in this report solely refer to the foodstuffs and substances or substance groups analysed in 2007.

Generally, the findings of the 2007 food monitoring programme again support the recommendation that nutrition should be manifold and balanced, as this is the most suitable way to minimise the dietary intake of undesirable substances, which is unavoidable to some degree.

In particular, findings from the 2007 market basket and project monitoring programmes are summarised as follows:

Food of animal origin

• Beef and raw, smoked bacon carried only minor levels of undesirable substances. There was only one case of non-compliance with the maximum level for lead in beef.
• There were still findings of several of the known ubiquitous environmental contaminants, though at very low concentrations, in fat tissue of domestic wild boar. Legal maximum levels were only exceeded in single cases. Levels of some contaminants, for instance, PCB congeners, have markedly reduced over the past ten years. Contamination of wild boar meat with heavy metals was low, including contamination with lead, provided meat contaminated by particles of hunting ammunition had been generously cut out.
• Air-cured ham was slightly contaminated with heavy metals. On the other hand, application of pesticides obviously led to medium-degree contamination with residues of pyrethroids, in particular in Spanish ham. This should be reason for increased checks. 7.8% of samples did not comply with maximum residue levels (MRLs).
• Contamination of honey with heavy metals, residues of plant protection products, and pharmacologically active substances was very low. Some samples showed increased levels of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural, which indicated that this honey had either been heated or of poorer quality.
• Contamination with dioxins and PCB was low in the majority of samples of milk, chicken eggs, beef, pork, pig’s liver, meat of wild boar, sea fish and freshwater fish as well as in food supplements on the basis of fish oil. The causes of contamination in eel samples must still be found out.
• Five per cent of the samples of chicken, turkey, goose, and Cordon bleu of chicken were conspicuous with low amounts of 3-mono-chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD). This might indicate use of an unauthorised hydrolyzate and, as a result, a case of deceit of consumers.

Food of vegetal origin

• Rye grains, yeast-cloud wheat beer, pils beer and dark beer showed low levels of contamination with mycotoxins and heavy metals. Rye had clearly fewer mycotoxins findings than in 2004. There was only one finding of ochratoxin A (OTA) above the legal maximum level.
• Cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, sweet chestnuts, and pistachios also showed low levels of contamination with mycotoxins and heavy metals. As regards pistachios, the intensive control measures of the past few years have yielded success, with aflatoxins levels measured in the 2007 monitoring programme amounting to only the fiftieth part of those measured in 1999. Sweet chestnuts carried high levels of bromide, with frequent non-compliance with the MRL, which should be reason for further investigations. This was not the case in cashew nuts and pistachios. Macadamia nuts had relatively frequent findings of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), though at very low levels. PAH are formed during roasting of macadamia nuts.
• Cos (romaine) lettuce carried low levels of heavy metals and residues of plant protection products, and medium levels of nitrate. Only 1.5% of the samples exceeded MRLs of plant protection products. Contamination with heavy metals was also low in head lettuce. Still, measures should be taken to reduce residues of plant protection products and levels of nitrate in head lettuce, as 9.5% of the head lettuce samples exceeded plant protection product MRLs, and 23% the legal maximum level of nitrate. Some pesticide residues even led to an exceeding of the acute reference dose (ARfD) in exposure assessment.
• Pointed cabbage and savoy cabbage generally contained only low levels of heavy metals. There was only one cadmium level in pointed cabbage slightly above the legal maximum level. Residues of plant protection products exceeded MRLs in 2.1% of pointed cabbage samples and 14.3% of savoy cabbage samples. The findings of fungicidal dithiocarbamates in savoy cabbage need further observation, in particular with regard to the question to what extent they are owing to naturally occurring sulphur compounds. Relatively high nitrate levels in pointed cabbage should also be reason for further observation.
• Kale from the 2007/2008 winter season was relatively strongly contaminated with plant protection product residues. A large share of samples of 20% exceeding MRLs, exposure assessment leading to an exceeding of an ARfD, and a large variety of active substances found which are not allowed for use in kale show the need for increased controls.
• Contamination of leek and tomatoes with plant protection product residues was low. 2.1% of leek samples and 1.5% of tomato samples did not comply with MRLs. One bromide level in tomato led to the ARfD being exceeded in exposure assessment.
• Small Radish and long radish carried low levels of plant protection product residues and heavy metals, and medium levels of nitrate. Plant protection product residues did not exceed legal MRLs in small radish, but in 5% of the long radish samples. There were some single lead findings above the permissible maximum level.
• Oyster mushrooms and cultured champignon – both are cultured mushrooms – carried only low levels of heavy metals. One cadmium level in oyster mushrooms was slightly higher than the permissible maximum level. Contamination with residues of plant protection products was generally low in oyster mushrooms and of medium degree in cultured champignon. Legal MRLs were exceeded in 9% of champignon samples, but only in one sample of oyster mushroom (1.5%). This residue also meant an exceeding of the ARfD in an exposure assessment.
• The majority of samples of strawberries, peaches, and nectarines showed only low levels of plant protection product residues. Still, more than a third of samples carried five residues or more. While 2.9% of the strawberry samples and 5% of the nectarine samples contained residues above the respective MRLs, this was the case in 11% of peaches samples, which means that more efforts are necessary to permanently improve the residue situation by suitable measures.
• Apples carried low levels of heavy metals. Two lead levels were slightly higher than the permissible maximum level. With regard to plant protection product residues, 7.3% of the samples contained levels above respective MRLs, and nearly a fifth of the samples contained residues of five or more products. Levels exceeding MRLs were much rarer in apples from German production than in apples imported from Latin America.
• Kaki fruit and mango contained only low levels of heavy metals. Residues of plant protection products were also low, in the majority. MRLs were exceeded in 4.5% of mango samples and 10% of kaki samples. Some higher residue levels in mango should be reason for continued official control.
• Though MRLs of plant protection products were exceeded in 6% of cape gooseberry and 15% of carambola fruit, residue concentrations were still very low and meant no risk to consumers.
• Dried apricots carried low levels of heavy metals and very low concentrations of aflatoxins, OTA and PAH. Plant protection product residues were also low in the majority, but exceeded MRLs in 9% of samples. Relatively high contents of bromide were conspicuous, and might be attributable to storage protection measures.
• Dried currants, raisins, and sultanas were only to low degree contaminated with OTA, PAH and heavy metals. On the other hand, 15% of samples carried plant protection product residues above MRLs, which is a relatively large share and calls for measures to lastingly minimise residues. Nearly every sample contained residues, and more than half of the samples carried five and more residues. Levels were toxicologically harmless, however.
• Contamination of curry powder with aflatoxins and OTA was low, but findings of plant protection product residues were very frequent. Most of the concentrations were actually low, however. Exposure to heavy metals through this food is also assessed as low because of the low consumption amount.
• Nutmeg carried only low levels of heavy metals and few residues of plant protection products, without any exceeding an MRL. Regarding the portion of samples carrying aflatoxins above the maximum permissible level, contamination with aflatoxins was also low. Still, where mycotoxins were found, concentrations were so high that further efforts to prevent mould fungi in nutmeg seem necessary.
• Chilli powder was contaminated to higher degree, with 14% of samples carrying residues of plant protection products exceeding MRLs. Nearly each sample contained residues, and 40% of samples carried five or more residues. Contamination with aflatoxins was rather low, considering the portion of samples with levels above maximum permissible levels. Where mycotoxins were detected, however, these were in high concentrations. Contents of elements were relatively high, compared to other foodstuffs. But exposure to pesticide residues, mycotoxins and heavy metals through this food is assessed as rated low because of the low consumption amounts. Minimisation measures are still recommendable.
• Roasted coffee, ground and not ground, contained only low levels of OTA. Compliance with the legal maximum levels is well possible by careful selection of raw materials.
• Copper levels in organically produced potatoes and apples nearly always lay within the range of natural levels, so that there was no discernible connection between use of copper-containing fungicides and increased copper levels in the foods.
• Herbal teas of stinging nettle, peppermint, and of some herb mixtures considerably contribute to the intake of nitrate, if consumed regularly. Tea mixtures containing stinging nettle are not recommendable for breastfeeding mothers, and should not be advertised as “breast-feeding tea”, as it is often the case. Legal regulations setting maximum levels for some herbal teas should be an aim of preventive consumer protection.

Other foodstuffs

• Mineral waters generally contained low levels of boron, and always below the permissible maximum level. Concentrations tended to be higher in mineral waters from the south of Germany.
• Furan concentrations measured in baby and infant food do not harbour acute health risks, according to the current state of knowledge. Still, from the point of view of preventive consumer protection, it is necessary that concentrations be minimised, as levels have not declined since 2005.

Specific studies

• Studies with table grapes have shown that analyses of single fruits for plant protection product residues are unproblematic with modern analytical methods. Single fruit analyses are used in evaluating acute risks from consumption of usual portions, such as one grape. Probably, there will be more residue findings than in mixed samples, where residue concentrations present in single fruits are thinned down. Yet, when evaluating the importance of single fruit analyses, the high expense must be weighed against the gain of information relevant to acute risk assessment. In the present studies, none of the findings from single fruit analyses would result in an exposure meaning a higher acute risk to consumers than exposure calculated on the basis of levels measured in mixed samples, as usual.