• Summary
• 1. Foodstuffs
• 2. Consumer products
• 3. Cosmetic products

Summary

The Monitoring Scheme is a system of repeated representative measurements and evaluations of levels of substances undesirable from a health point of view, such as residues of plant protection products and pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins and other contaminants in and on foodstuffs, consumer products and cosmetic products.

In line with the General Administrative Provisions (AVV) for the 2011-2015 Monitoring Scheme(1), the following foodstuffs, consumer products and cosmetic products from the population’s representative market basket were examined (market basket monitoring):

Food of animal origin

• Camembert cheese (at least 45 % fat in dry matter)
• Hare (meat)
• Chicken (meat)
• Chicken (liver)
• Pangasius (farmed sheatfish)
• Tuna

Food of plant origin

• Pear
• Blackberry
• Buckwheat grains
• Endive
• Peanut (roasted, with shell)
• Lamb’s lettuce
• Green beans
• Currant
• Carrot
• Potatoe
• Cherry
• Cherry juice/cherry nectar
• Pumpkin
• Pumpkin seeds (not roasted, without shell)
• Spring onion
• Almond (whole, without shell, not roasted)
• Orange
• Black pepper (ground)
• Rice
• Rye flour
• Cucumber
• Sesame
• Soybean
• Spinach (fresh/frozen)
• Beer (bottom-fermented)
• Wheat flour
• Wild mushroom
• Lemon

Consumer products (toys)

• Crayons (varnish coat/colour lead)
• Finger paints
• Plasticine
• Chalk
• Watercolours
• Children’s jewellery from metal and noble metal

Cosmetic products

• Cream make-up/tanning lotion/Camouflage make-up
• Lipstick/lip rouge/lip powder/lip liner
• Make-up/theatre make-up/carnival make-up

Depending on what undesirable substances were to be expected, the foods were analysed for residues of plant protection products and contaminants (for instance, dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), elements, and mycotoxins). Cosmetic products were tested for element contents, while toys and jewellery for children were tested for migration of elements.

In addition to market basket monitoring, the following specific subjects were examined in foods, in order to obtain particular information for risk assessment, or just to survey particular topical problems. This part of the programme is called “project monitoring”.

• Residues of plant protection products in citrus fruits with and without peels
• Patulin in juices (clear and turbid) from pears and apples from regional small producers and direct marketers
• Deoxynivalenol in dry pastries
• Cadmium and aluminium in soya milk products
• Furan in breakfast cereals

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 presence of undesirable substances made in this report solely refer to the products and substances or substance groups analysed in 2011. It is not possible to assess the overall exposure to certain substances, because only part of the market basket can be considered in the analyses of one year, while the substances analysed also occur in other foodstuffs.

Generally, the findings of the 2011 food monitoring programme again support the recommendation that nutrition should be manifold and balanced in order to minimise the dietary intake of undesirable substances which is, to some degree, unavoidable.

In total, 8,799 samples of products produced at home and abroad were analysed in the framework of market basket and project monitoring in 2011, including 7,709 samples of foodstuffs, 501 samples of consumer products, and 589 samples of cosmetic products.
In detail, findings were as follows:

1. Foodstuffs

Residues of plant protection products and pesticides

Foodstuffs of animal origin

Only three samples (2 %) of chicken meat and 17 samples (17 %) of chicken liver showed low levels of residues of plant protection products and pesticides. As in many other foodstuffs of animal origin, chicken meat and chicken liver samples carried predominantly residues of ubiquitous persistent organo-chlorine compounds which were excessively used in the past and still enter the food chain via environmental contamination. Pangasius showed mainly chlorpyrifos and trifluralin, apart from representatives of persistent organo-chlorine compounds. 9.6 % of the pangasius samples analysed for trifluralin exceeded the permitted maximum residue level (MRL) of 0.01 mg/kg. Other non-compliances with MRLs were not found. The residue levels found did not mean any acute health risk to consumers.

Foodstuffs of plant origin

Residues of plant protection products were found to different degrees in all foodstuffs of plant origin analysed therefor. Residues were not quantifiable in 77 % of all buckwheat grain, roasted peanut, and pumpkin samples, and in more than 50 % of potato, cherry juice/cherry nectar, and rice samples. Sample portions with quantifiable residues were highest (84 % - 96 %) in pears, blackberries, endives, lamb’s lettuce, currants, cherries, oranges, and spinach. These foodstuffs – with the exception of spinach – and lemons also had the highest numbers of multiple residue findings. The highest number of multiple residues was 13 substances, found in one sample of salad cucumbers and one sample of lemons.

Residues of active substances which were not authorised for the corresponding commodity in Germany in 2011 were found in 3 % of samples from domestic products, most frequently in currants, lamb’s lettuce, endives, and spinach.

The 2011 monitoring did not find any non-compliance with MRLs in buckwheat grains, potatoes, cherry juice/cherry nectar, and pumpkin. In all other products, apart from spinach (5 %), the share of samples with residues above the MRLs varied between 0.5 and 3.0 %. The share of samples which did not comply with MRLs was much lower in foodstuffs of domestic production (1 %) than in foodstuffs from other EU states (2.5 %) or from third countries (3.2 %). This was the case in both 2011 and the previous year.

In the course of risk assessment, the residue levels of dimethoate/omethoate in one sample of spinach and in three samples of cherries, and of heptachlor in one sample of roasted peanuts were assessed as having a potential of causing acute health impairments.

All other residue levels found, including those above the legal MRLs, were such that acute health risks to consumers could practically be excluded.

Particular tests carried out in citrus fruits with and without peel showed residues of plant protection products in nearly all samples of unpeeled oranges, tangerines, and pomelos, and in most samples even multiple residues. As regards non-compliance with MRLs, pomelos were more conspicuous, with a non-compliant residue in about every eighth fruit.

Quantifiable residues were measured in slightly more than half of the samples without peel. But levels measured in the fruit pulp were in most cases much lower than levels measured in the whole fruit, and in no case higher than the established MRL. It was noted that systemic plant protection products, which are applied to crops during the growth period, enter the pulp to a noticeable degree.

Dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)

Dioxins and PCBs are generally ubiquitous in the environment at low levels. This leads to what is called unavoidable background contamination also in foodstuffs. The analytic results obtained indicate that the food groups analysed in the framework of this monitoring – meat and liver of chicken, and tuna – carry low levels of dioxins and of (dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like) PCBs. Levels found were not higher than established maximum levels or trigger values in these food groups.

The present data on chicken shows a clear to very clear correlation between muscle and liver of identical birds regarding the parameter WHO-PCB-TEQ. As regards the parameter WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ, this correlation is only feeble to medium.

Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS)

Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are generally ubiquitous in the environment at low levels. This leads to what is called unavoidable background contamination also in foodstuffs. The analytic results obtained in the 2011 Monitoring scheme indicate that the foodstuffs meat and liver of chicken, and wild mushrooms, which were analysed for these substances for the first time, carry very low levels of PFAS. For these substances, no maximum levels have been established in foodstuffs so far.

Fourteen individual PFAS were subject to analysis. Of these, the only findings were low levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in 5.1 % of chicken meat samples, 4.8 % of chicken liver samples, and 26.7% of wild mushroom samples, of perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPA) in 8.5 % of the chicken meat samples and 2.2 % of the chicken liver samples, and low levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in 1.7 % of the wild mushroom samples. Carrots and bottom-fermented beer were tested for these substances for the first time in this programme. All samples carried levels below the respective analytic limit of quantification of the methods used.

Mycotoxins

Aflatoxins B₁, B₂, G₁, G₂, and M₁

Camembert cheese samples analysed under this programme did not contain any measurable amounts of aflatoxin M₁.

Peanuts and almonds were found with lower levels of aflatoxin contamination than in earlier monitoring trials, but findings are comparable only to a certain degree, because in 2011, almonds were analysed as whole kernels, while analyses in 2004 were carried out on ground almonds.

Aflatoxin levels in black pepper were at a similarly low level as found in the 2002 monitoring. The oil seeds pumpkin kernels and sesame, which were analysed for the first time in the framework of the monitoring scheme, showed only low levels of aflatoxins.

Non-compliant aflatoxin concentrations were found in one sample of peanuts from Taiwan and one sample of buckwheat grains from Germany.

Deoxynivalenol

Among the samples of bakery products with a large cereal portion (rusk, extruded cereal snacks, crackers, and pretzel products), only one sample of crackers exceeded the maximum permissible level of deoxynivalenol (DON) of 500 µg/kg. In total, 71 % of all samples contained levels of up to 50 µg/kg, and 92 % of the samples levels below 200 µg/kg. These results do not justify plans to lift the permitted maximum level of DON in the food group “products with a large cereal portion”.

Ochratoxin A

Ochratoxin A (OTA) levels have increased slightly in wheat flour, but clearly in peanuts and ground black pepper, compared to monitoring analyses made in previous years. Almonds and beer (bottom-fermented) were found with only low levels of OTA, which confirmed findings of earlier tests. Buckwheat grains, which were monitored for OTA for the first time, showed clearly higher levels than wheat flour. In addition to that, four samples did not comply with the established maximum level (3x from Germany, 1x from China). The oilseeds pumpkin seed and sesame showed only low levels of OTA.

Patulin

Patulin contamination of pear and apple juice, mainly from regional small producers, was subject to a monitoring project. In pear juice, contamination was very low. Here, patulin was quantifiable only in 8.5 % of the samples, and there were no non-compliant samples. In apple juice, patulin was quantifiable in 25 % of the samples. Seven of a total of 316 samples (2.2 %) exceeded the maximum level, partly even many times over. A comparison with data obtained in previous monitoring shows that apple juice from large-scale, supra-regional producers is contaminated to about the same degree (in 2005: 21.8 %). Apple juice being a most popular fruit juice in Germany, and a frequent beverage of children, it should continue to be periodically monitored for patulin. Further monitoring of patulin in pear juice, in contrast, is not necessary for the time being.

T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin

T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin were quantified in 4.7 % of samples of rye flour, which is clearly less than in a 2008 monitoring project. The average level in the rye flour samples analysed was 0.21 µg/kg, which is also comparatively low. Soy beans and wheat flour had no findings at all. To make a statistically safe consideration of exposure to T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin via foodstuffs, we recommend to continue testing samples for these parameters under the monitoring scheme.

Furan

Tests of breakfast cereals for furan have shown that puffed products in particular can add to consumers’ exposure to furan, apart from the known sources such as coffee and instant baby foods(2,3). Though with current knowledge, an acute health risk is not to be expected, it seems necessary to minimise furan levels to the end of preventive health protection of consumers, namely as regards puffed breakfast cereals, which are particularly popular among children.

Elements

Lead

Among the foodstuffs of animal origin tested for lead in 2011, hare meat showed higher median and maximum levels than meat and liver of chicken, pangasius, and tuna. The maximum content of 104 mg/kg found in one hare meat sample was likely attributable to the use of lead ammunition in hunting. The Federal Institute of Risk Assessment (BfR) recommends reducing exposure to lead through game meat in sensitive consumer groups, such as pregnant women/nursing mothers or small children.

Black pepper also showed increased levels of contamination. Yet, given the small amount of consumption and therefore low level of exposure with this food, a health risk to consumers is not to be expected. We should still try, in the framework of minimisation measures to which spice manufacturers should be encouraged, whether lead concentrations in spices could be further reduced as a result of Good Manufacturing Practice. Also, the median (0.05 mg/kg) and the maximum level (0.41 mg/kg) found in wild grown mushrooms (mainly chanterelle and cep) were slightly increased, compared to the other foodstuffs of vegetal origin.

Average lead concentrations in the foodstuffs leek onion, blackberry, buckwheat, pumpkin, pumpkin seed, sesame, soy bean, and wheat flour where overall low and were not conspicuous compared to findings obtained in analyses of similar foodstuffs in previous years.

Cadmium

Cadmium contamination of foodstuffs of animal origin analysed under the 2011 market basket monitoring (meat of hare, meat and liver of chicken, pangasius, and tuna) was low. Findings in peanuts were slightly higher than in previous years, while the median and the maximum finding in almonds and the maximum findings in endives and black pepper were reduced. Cadmium contamination of the foodstuffs blackberry, cherry juice/cherry nectar, pumpkin and pumpkin seed, leek onion, wheat flour, sesame and wild mushrooms (mainly chanterelle and cep), which were subject to the monitoring programme for the first time in 2011, was also low. Two samples of buckwheat grains and leek onions and one sample of soy beans did not comply with the legal maximum level. The development of cadmium concentrations in foodstuffs, namely in oilseeds (such as peanuts, soy beans, and sesame) should continue to be monitored in future monitoring programmes.

The soy products soy drink, soy drink powder, and soy protein instant baby food, which formed part of the 2011 project monitoring, showed in the large majority only low cadmium contamination levels. In soy drink products with a soy bean portion of up to 15 %, the main portion of quantifiable cadmium contents were lower than 0.022 mg/kg. Cadmium contents in the respective dried products (soy drink powder and soy flakes) were appropriately higher, with up to 0.188 mg/kg. Cadmium levels found in soy-based instant baby food were practically identical with those found in 2000, and fairly low, with an average level of 0.012 mg/kg.

This monitoring project has enhanced the data basis for the food groups “Primary instant baby food from soy protein” and “Follow-up instant baby food from soy protein”, and thus makes a significant contribution to the current discussion about revising maximum levels established for cadmium in foodstuffs (including soy beans) in Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006. In addition, the project has produced data on cadmium levels in products of the food group “soy drinks” which can now be used in a consumer exposure assessment.

Mercury

Tuna is the food with the highest mercury contamination levels among the foods tested. The maximum level fixed in Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 was exceeded in one tuna sample. In general mercury concentrations in tuna have slightly increased over those found in 2006.

Pangasius, meat of hare, and meat and liver of chicken carry only low mercury contamination levels. Mercury levels found in buckwheat grains, peanuts, pumpkin seed, almonds, and wheat flour were low. These foods were analysed for mercury for the first time and on a voluntary basis in the 2011 monitoring programme. The median and maximum levels found in peanuts were about as low as in 2004, while the median level in almonds has decreased.

The maximum level for mercury in wild mushrooms pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 396/2005 was exceeded in 17 out of 55 samples (30.9 %). These were mainly cep samples. But it should be noted that this maximum level of 0.01 mg/kg, which is applied regardless of the actual source of contamination, is not appropriate when one considers existing background contamination with mercury. The average levels measured in wild mushrooms (mainly chanterelle and cep) are actually very low, with 0.005 mg/kg.

Copper

Copper median concentrations in the foodstuffs of animal origin analysed ranged from 0.15 mg/kg (in pangasius) to 3.28 mg/kg (in chicken liver).
Median concentrations in foodstuffs of vegetal origin lay between 0.14 mg/kg (cherry juice) and 15.9 mg/kg (sesame). There were no non-compliant findings in the foodstuffs covered by the 2011 monitoring scheme.

Aluminium

Aluminium median concentrations in the foodstuffs analysed in the market basket monitoring were mostly in the range between 0.1 mg/kg (liver of chicken) and
8.81 mg/kg (soy beans). Considering foodstuffs of vegetal origin such as wild mushrooms, endive, leek onion, soy beans, and pumpkin seed, one has to take account of increased aluminium accumulation from soil. The findings should give reason to further monitoring the trend in the framework of monitoring programmes.

In soy products tested in the framework of the 2011 project monitoring, the average aluminium content of 26 samples of soy-based milk-free instant baby food was
2.5 mg/kg powder, and the maximum content 4.8 mg/kg powder. The variety of such products on the German market being rather small, it is hard to derive a permissible maximum level of aluminium in this product group on a narrow data basis like this.

The average aluminium content in soy drink products tested in the project monitoring was 2.1 mg/kg. It cannot be assessed whether the content depends on the soy bean portion in the product. In order to minimise the particular exposure of children to aluminium it is recommended on principle to fix a permissible maximum level for aluminium in soy beans and soy products.

Arsenic

Contamination with arsenic in the foodstuffs of animal origin examined in 2011 was low, apart from in tuna. Tuna carried the highest median and maximum levels of arsenic among all foodstuffs examined in 2011. Fish, and in particular large predatory fish such as tuna which are at the end of the feed chain, accumulate diverse environmental poisons (such as heavy metals) from their natural habitat. This can result in an elevated degree of contamination of tuna with arsenic. Yet, arsenic is present in fish and seafood mainly in the form of less toxic organic compounds.

Contamination with arsenic of the foodstuffs of vegetal origin tested was generally low. The Expert Panel on industrial and environmental contaminants has discussed introduction of permissible maximum levels of total/inorganic arsenic in some food categories since 2010. Data from the monitoring scheme could serve as a decision aid in discussions on the European level.

Nickel

Among the foodstuffs tested for nickel in 2011, the oilseeds (peanuts, pumpkin seed, almonds, sesame, and soy beans), black pepper and buckwheat grains showed slightly increased median levels, compared to the other foods tested. Nickel levels in all other foods of animal and vegetal origin tested ranged between
0.01 mg/kg (hare and chicken meat) and 0.13 mg/kg (blackberry), which is low.

2. Consumer products

Elements

In 2011, monitoring tests of consumer products focussed on the release (migration) of semimetals and heavy metals from toys (varnish coats and leads of colour crayons, water colours, finger paints, plasticine, and chalk crayons) and metal/noble metal jewellery for children. Thus, the tests practically continued the 2010 monitoring programme with other product groups.

Priority was given to the release of lead and cadmium and, optionally, of antimony, arsenic, barium, chromium, nickel, mercury, and selenium. Migration levels fixed in the DIN Standards DIN EN 71-3(4) and DIN EN 71-7(5) were exceeded only in some single cases with arsenic, barium, lead, and chromium. Usually, they were by far not reached, which shows that Good Manufacturing Practice is able to technologically implement much lower migration levels.

3. Cosmetic products

Elements

Examination of cosmetic products in the framework of the 2011 monitoring scheme focussed on determining levels of lead and cadmium and, optionally, arsenic, antimony, mercury and nickel in cream make-up, camouflage make-up, lip stick/lip powder, and theatre and carnival make-up. The aim was to obtain new data to derive orientation values for technically unavoidable contents of such elements in the raw materials used in these products. Yet, analyses were not performed on the raw materials, but on the final cosmetic products, because it is the final product which is important for human exposure.

Purity requirements refer to the dye or colour pigment used in the cosmetic product. Though maximum levels established in this way cannot immediately be used to evaluate the levels measured (because dye/pigment portions in the products are not known), it shows that non-compliance with maximum levels cannot be excluded in some samples. On the other hand, at least 90 % of all samples comply with the maximum levels of all metals quantified (lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and antimony). Though the levels recommended by the Federal Health Agency (BGA)(6,7) were exceeded in a few cases with lead, arsenic, and antimony, they normally were by far not reached. It should therefore be possible to clearly lower the recommended values, maybe separately for specific product groups.

¹ Allgemeine Verwaltungsvorschrift zur Durchführung des Monitorings von Lebensmitteln, kosmetischen Mitteln und Bedarfsgegenständen für die Jahre 2011 bis 2015 (AVV Monitoring 2011-2015), BAnz Nr. 198 vom 29.12.2010, S. 4364ff
² Lachenmeier, D.W. und Kuballa, T.: Furan in Lebensmitteln - Ein Problem in Babynahrung und Kaffee? Deutsche Lebensmittel-Rundschau, 106(03), 2010, 160 – 162
³ Lachenmeier, D.W., Reusch, H. und Kuballa, T.: Risk assessment of furan in commercially jarred baby foods, including insights into its occurrence and formation in freshly home-cooked foods for infants and young children. Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment, 26(6), 2009, 776-85
⁴ Sicherheit von Spielzeug, Teil 3: Migration bestimmter Elemente, Deutsche Fassung EN 71-3
⁵ Sicherheit von Spielzeug, Teil 7: Fingermalfarben – Anforderungen und Prüfverfahren. Deutsche Fassung EN 71-7
⁶ BGA (1985): Mitteilungen des Bundesgesundheitsamtes: Technisch vermeidbare Gehalte an Schwermetallen in kosmetischen Erzeugnissen. Bundesgesundheitsblatt 28 (7), 216
⁷ BGA (1990): Mitteilungen des Bundesgesundheitsamtes: Technisch vermeidbare Gehalte an Schwermetallen in Zahnpasten. Bundesgesundheitsblatt 33 (4), 177

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