| Contaminant |
Product |
European maximum level
in mg/kg (ppm)
Relative to a feedingstuff
with a moisture content of 12% |
| Arsenic |
Fats and oils |
2 mg/kg |
| Palm kernel expeller |
4 mg/kg |
| Lead |
Feed materials |
10 mg/kg |
| Fluorine |
Feed materials |
150 mg/kg |
| Mercury |
Feed materials |
0.1 mg/kg |
| Cadmium |
Feed materials |
1 mg/kg |
| Aflatoxine B1 |
Feed materials |
0.02 mg/kg |
Dioxins
(sum of dioxins and furans) |
Vegetable oils and byproducts |
0.75 ng/kg
WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ |
| Animal fats |
2 ng/kg
WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ |
| Fish oil |
6 ng/kg
WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ |
Sum of dioxins,
furans and dioxin-like PCBs |
Vegetable oils and byproducts |
1.5 ng/kg
WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ |
| Animal fats |
3 ng/kg
WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ |
| Fish oil |
24 ng/kg
WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ |
| Aldrin + Dieldrin |
Fats and Oils |
0.1 mg/kg |
| Campheclor |
Fats and Oils |
0.05 mg/kg |
| Fish oil |
0.2 mg/kg |
| Chlordane |
Fats and Oils |
0.05 mg/kg |
| DDT |
Fats and Oils |
0.5 mg/kg |
| Endosulfan |
Oilseeds and product derived
thereof with the exception of
crude vegetable oil |
0.5 mg/kg |
| Crude vegetable oil |
1 mg/kg |
| Endrin |
Fats and Oils |
0.05 mg/kg |
| Heptachlor |
Fats and Oils |
0.2 mg/kg |
| Hexachlorbenzene (HCB) |
Fats and Oils |
0.2 mg/kg |
Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH)
- Alpha isomers
- Beta isomers
- Gamma isomers |
Fats and Oils
Fats and Oils
Fats and Oils |
0.2 mg/kg
0.1 mg/kg
2 mg/kg |
For the text of Directive 2002/32 click here.
For Commission directive 2006/13 amending Directive 2002/32/EC as regards dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs click here.
Dioxin action levels
Action levels are set to reduce the dioxin intake of the European Community population. They were first set in the Commission Recommendation of 4 March 2002 on the reduction of the presence of dioxins, furans and PCBs in feeding stuff and food stuff.
They are meant as a tool for competent authorities and operators to highlight those cases where it is appropriate to identify a source of contamination and to take measures to reduce or eliminate it.
Commission Directive 2006/13/EC (annex II) replaces the action levels for feeding stuff set in the Commission Recommendation of 4 March 2002 for feeding stuff by action levels in Directive 2002/32/EC.
For products intended for animal consumption the following action limits presently apply:
Feed |
Action level
dioxins + furans
(WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ)
(OLD) |
Action level
dioxins + furans
(WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ)
(NEW) |
Action level
dioxin-like PCBs
(WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ)
(NEW) |
| Oils and Fats |
Vegetable oils
and their by-products |
0.5 ng/kg |
0.5 ng/kg |
0.5 ng /kg |
| Animal fat |
1.2 ng/kg |
1.0 ng /kg |
0.75 ng/kg |
| Fish oil |
4.5 ng/kg |
5.0 ng/kg |
14.0 ng /kg |
More information
The European Commission website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/food/animalnutrition/contaminants/index_en.htm
You can also contact Annette Klomp, klomp@mvo.nl, tel. 070 3185114.