Recommendation on monitoring the presence of inorganic arsenic in feed

Summary:

Recommendation adopted by the European Commission on 20 May 2022, concerning the monitoring the presence of inorganic arsenic in feed.

Further information:

The inorganic and organic forms of arsenic differ significantly in their toxicity. The potential adverse effects of arsenic on animal (and human) health are determined by the inorganic fraction in a given feed (or food) product.

Directive 2002/32/EC established maximum levels for arsenic in a wide range of products intended for animal feed. Back then, the maximum levels referred to total arsenic, as when establishing the maximum levels for arsenic in feed, and no routine method of analysis was available to analyse inorganic arsenic separately. Data reporting only total arsenic in such feed materials are difficult to interpret in terms of the potential to induce adverse effects.

Member States should, with the active involvement of feed business operators, perform monitoring for the presence of inorganic arsenic in certain feed materials and compound feeds. It is recommended to determine in the same samples the total arsenic content in view of determining the ratio between the presence of inorganic arsenic compared to total arsenic.

This Recommendation was published in the Official Journal on 23 May 2022.