Date: 2004-03-01
Source: Food Safety Authority of Ireland, FSAI
Link: http://www.fsai.ie/surveillance/food_safety/chemical/dioxin_report04/Dioxin_04.pdf


Dioxin levels in Irish eggs shown to be be compliant with EU limit values.

Summary The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has carried out a surveillance study of levels of dioxins (PCDDs), furans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and some elements (cadmium, lead, tin, aluminium, mercury, arsenic, copper, chromium and selenium) in battery, free-range, barn and organic eggs. The study was undertaken because of concern about the possible effects on human health of the bio-persistent PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs, known to be present in a number of foodstuffs, notably meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. The toxic metals, lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic have been reported in eggs, and also have adverse effects on human health.

The study showed that levels of dioxins and furans in Irish eggs are well below the legal limit of three picogram (pg) WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ/gram (g) fat The total mean upper-bound level of PCDDs and PCDFs, expressed as WHO-PCDD/F- TEQ, was 0.49 ng/kg fat (pg/g) for all egg types taken together. Mean levels for battery, free range and barn eggs were 0.36, 0.47 and 0.31 pg WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ/g fat respectively, the overall mean being raised by the mean for organic eggs, at 1.30 pg WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ/g fat. Levels of dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like PCBs, including the so-called marker PCBs 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153 and 180, were also generally low in the majority of egg samples.

The results of the study are in line with those from previous FSAI studies on dioxin and furan levels in milk and fish and confirm that levels in Irish food are relatively low compared with similar products from more industrialised countries in the European Union. These findings support the conclusion that exposure of the Irish population to dioxins and furans in food is therefore likely to be lower than the European average. Estimation of the total intake of PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCBs resulting from weekly consumption of eggs provides a weekly intake of 0.19 WHO TEQ/kilogram (kg) body weight (b.w.), a figure which may be compared with the Tolerable Weekly Intake of 14 pg WHO TEQ/kg b.w. established for PCDDs, PCDF and dioxin-like PCBs by the EU Scientific Committee for Food. It can be concluded that this level of intake of PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCBs resulting from consumption of Irish eggs containing typical levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs does not present a risk to the health of the Irish population.