EFSA Requests Brominated Flame Retardant Monitoring

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has asked member states “to
monitor the presence of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in food over the
next two years.” In light of six scientific opinions published by the Scientific
Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain between September 2010 and
September 2012, EFSA has requested additional information on the following
BFR classes and their presence in human food: (i) polybrominated diphenyl
ethers; (ii) hexabromocyclododecanes; (iii) tetrabromobisphenol A and its
derivatives; (iv) brominated phenols and their derivatives; and (v) emerging
and novel brominated flame retardants. In addition, the agency noted that
“levels of [BFRs] in food of animal origin could be related to the presence of
these substances in animal feed, therefore, based on the first results of the
monitoring of food in 2014, a recommendation as regards the monitoring of
animal feed could follow in 2015.”

Issue 517