Food and Health E-ssentials

EU Commission imposes special conditions on certain food imports due to contamination risks

The Commission of the European Union (EU) has taken action to implement special conditions on the importation of three specific foods of non-animal origin, due to ongoing concerns regarding potential contamination.

In an Implementing Regulation issued in early November, the Commission has imposed specific new import controls on vine leaves from Turkey, dragon fruit (also known as pitahaya) from Vietnam, and curry leaves from India, as well as food products in which any of these foods constitute more than 20 percent of the ingredients. The controls include limiting importation of consignments to a designated point of entry, and requiring that each consignment be accompanied by a report showing the results of sampling conducted by a designated competent authority regarding their maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticide.

The Commission notes that its action was taken in response to a high frequency of ongoing non-compliance with the EU’s requirements regarding MRLs for these specific products. The import controls take effect beginning on 8 December 2018.

The complete text of the EU Commission’s Implementing Regulation as published in the Official Journal of the European Union is available here.