THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products, amending Regulations (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC) No 1069/2009, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No 652/2014, (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 and (EC) No 1099/2009 and Council Directives 98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/EC and 2008/120/EC, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 89/608/EEC, 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC, 96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and Council Decision 92/438/EEC (Official Controls Regulation)(1), and in particular Article 34(6) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 333/2007(2) lays down the methods of sampling and analysis to be used for the official control of the levels of certain contaminants in foodstuffs.
(2) The maximum allowed levels for 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) fatty acid esters, glycidyl fatty acid esters and perchlorate in foodstuffs have been established by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006(3). Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2158(4) establishes mitigation measures and benchmark levels for the reduction of the presence of acrylamide in certain categories of foodstuffs.
(3) Regulation (EC) No 333/2007 establishes specific performance criteria to be met by the validated methods of analysis for contaminants in food, applied by the relevant European laboratories. Consequently, it is appropriate to lay down specific performance criteria in Regulation (EC) No 333/2007, with which the method of analysis for controlling the maximum levels of 3-MCPD fatty acid esters, glycidyl fatty acid esters, perchlorate and acrylamide in foodstuffs has to comply.
(4) The European Union Reference Laboratories in the field of Contaminants in Feed and Food have elaborated a guidance document on the estimation of the Limit of Detection (LOD) and Limit of Quantification (LOQ) for measurements in the field of contaminants in feed and food(5). Consequently, it is appropriate to adapt the definitions contained in Regulation (EC) No 333/2007 and related to the limit of detection and the limit of quantification.
(5) Regulation (EC) No 333/2007 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6) Regulation (EU) 2017/625 applies with effect from 14 December 2019. Therefore this Regulation should start to apply from the same date.
(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Commission Regulation (EC) No 333/2007 of 28 March 2007 laying down the methods of sampling and analysis for the control of the levels of trace elements and processing contaminants in foodstuffs (OJ L 88, 29.3.2007, p. 29).
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs (OJ L 364, 20.12.2006, p. 5).
Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2158 of 20 November 2017 establishing mitigation measures and benchmark levels for the reduction of the presence of acrylamide in food (OJ L 304, 21.11.2017, p. 24).
Guidance Document on the Estimation of LOD and LOQ for Measurements in the Field of Contaminants in Feed and Food, JRC Technical Reports EUR 28099 EU (2016). Available at: http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC102946/eur%2028099%20en_lod%20loq%20guidance%20document.pdf