The term “dioxins” is a simplified name for 7 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), 10 polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and 12 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs). According to the World Health Organisation, of the dioxin group, which contains 75 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) congeners and 135 polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) congeners, 17 compounds are of toxicological concern. Due to their similar mechanism of action, 12 of the 209 PCB congeners were included among dioxins. In addition, a criterion was set for the sum of 6 non-dioxin-like PCB congeners. Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, as amended, sets maximum levels for the sum of dioxins, for the sum of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) and for the sum of the 6 selected non-dioxin-like PCB congeners ICES-6 (ndl-PCBs).
Different congeners of dioxins and dl-PCBs exhibit different toxicity. In order to be able to express the sum of the toxicity of the congeners and to facilitate risk assessment, the concept of so-called toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) has been introduced. The analytical results relate to the sum of all the dioxin and dioxin-like PCB congeners and are expressed in toxic equivalents (TEQs), which are the sum of the products of the individual congeners multiplied by their TEFs.
Maximum levels for dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls dl-PCBs, in TEQs, have been established for meat and meat products, land animal liver, fish meat and fish products, fish liver, certain shellfish meat, fish oils raw milk and dairy products including butter, chicken eggs and egg products, animal fats, vegetable oils and fats, and food intended for infants and young children under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, as amended. In feed, the maximum levels in the EU are set by Directive 2002/32 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 May 2002 on undesirable substances in animal feed, as amended, whose provisions were implemented in Poland by the Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 6 February 2012 on the content of undesirable substances in feed, as amended.
The laboratory at J.S. Hamilton Poland is the first commercial laboratory in Poland to implement and accredit a method for the determination of “dioxins and PCBs” in food (including vegetable and animal oils and fats, meat and meat products, milk and milk products, fish and fish products) and feed, meeting the requirements of the reference method according to Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/644 of 5 April 2017. laying down methods of sampling and analysis for the control of levels of dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and non-dioxin-like PCBs in certain foodstuffs and Commission Regulation (EC) No 152/2009 of 27 January 2009 laying down the methods of sampling and analysis for the official control of feed. The method of analysis is based on gas chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry detection.
Contact our team today if you want to schedule testing or learn more about dioxins.
