Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/705 of 28 April 2021 amending Regulation (EC) No 333/2007 as regards the required number of incremental samples and the performance criteria for some methods of analysis (Text with EEA relevance)

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/705 · Regulation · 3 articles

Data as of 2026-07-04 · Compiled from an official source version. Later amendments or repeals may not be reflected; the official text prevails. · Read the official text ↗

Article 1

The Annex to Regulation (EC) No 333/2007 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .

Supplementary provisions

ANNEXSupplementary provisions

ANNEX The Annex to Regulation (EC) No 333/2007 is amended as follows: (1) point B.2.2. is replaced by the following: ‘B.2.2. Number of incremental samples For food, other than food supplements, dried spices or herbs, dried fungi, algae or lichen, the aggregate sample shall be at least 1 kilogram or 1 litre, except where it is not possible, e.g. when the sample consists of 1 package or unit. For food supplements, dried spices or herbs, dried fungi, algae or lichen the aggregate sample shall be at least 100 grams or 100 millilitres. For food, other than food supplements, the minimum number of incremental samples to be taken from the lot or sublot shall be in accordance with Table 3. In the case of bulk liquid products, the lot or sublot shall be thoroughly mixed in so far as possible and in so far it does not affect the quality of the product, by either manual or mechanical means immediately prior to sampling. In this case, a homogeneous distribution of contaminants shall be assumed within a given lot or sublot. Therefore the number of incremental samples from a lot or sublot to form the aggregate sample shall be three. Where the lot or sublot consists of individual packages or units, for food, other than food supplements, the number of packages or units (incremental samples) to be taken to form the aggregate sample shall be in accordance with Table 4a. The incremental samples shall be of similar weight/volume. For food, other than food supplements, dried spices or herbs, dried fungi, algae or lichen, the weight/volume of an incremental sample shall be at least 100 grams or 100 millilitres, resulting in an aggregate sample of at least about 1 kilogram or 1 litre. For dried spices or herbs, dried fungi, algae or lichen, the weight/volume of an incremental sample shall be at least 35 grams or 35 millilitres, resulting in an aggregate sample of at least 100 grams or 100 millilitres. The maximum levels for inorganic tin apply to the contents of each can, but for practical reasons an aggregate sampling approach may be used. If the result of the test for an aggregate sample of cans is less than but close to the maximum level of inorganic tin and if it is suspected that individual cans might exceed the maximum level, then further investigations shall be conducted. For food supplements the minimum number and size of the incremental samples shall be in accordance with Table 4b. Where it is not possible to carry out the method of sampling set out in this point B.2. because of the unacceptable commercial consequences (e.g. because of packaging forms, damage to the lot) or where it is practically impossible to apply the method of sampling provided for in this point B.2., an alternative method of sampling may be applied provided that it is sufficiently representative for the sampled lot or sublot and is fully documented. This shall be recorded in the record provided for in point B.1.8. Table 1 Subdivision of lots into sublots for products traded in bulk consignments Lot weight (ton) Weight or number of sublots ≥ 1 500 500 tonnes > 300 and < 1 500 3 sublots ≥ 100 and ≤ 300 100 tonnes < 100 — Table 2 Subdivision of lots into sublots for products not traded in bulk consignments Lot weight (ton) Weight or number of sublots ≥ 15 15-30 tonnes < 15 — Table 3 Minimum number of incremental samples to be taken from the lot or sublot of food, other than food supplements Weight or volume of lot/sublot (in kilogram or litre) Minimum number of incremental samples to be taken < 50 3 ≥ 50 and ≤ 500 5 > 500 10 Table 4a Number of packages or units (incremental samples) to be taken to form the aggregate sample where the lot or sublot consists of individual packages or units of food, other than food supplements Number of packages or units in the lot/sublot Number of packages or units to be taken ≤ 25 at least 1 package or unit 26-100 about 5 %, at least 2 packages or units > 100 about 5 %, at maximum 10 packages or units Table 4b The minimum number and size of the incremental samples for food supplements Lot size (number of packages) Number of packages (incremental samples) to be taken for sample Size of the incremental sample 1-50 1 Entire content of the package 51-250 2 Entire content of the package 251-1 000 4 From each retail package taken for sample, half of the content of the package > 1 000 4 + 1 packages per 1 000 retail packages with a maximum of 25 retail packages ≤ 10 packages: from each retail package, half of the content of the package > 10 packages: from each package, an equal amount is taken to result in a sample with the equivalent of the content of 5 packages Unknown (only applicable for e-commerce) 1 Entire content of the package’ (2) in point C.3.3.1., point (a) is replaced by the following: ‘(a) Performance criteria for methods of analysis for lead, cadmium, mercury, inorganic tin and inorganic arsenic Table 5 Parameter Criterion Applicability Foods specified in Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 Specificity Free from matrix or spectral interferences Repeatability (RSD r ) HORRAT r less than 2 Reproducibility (RSD R ) HORRAT R less than 2 Recovery The provisions of point D.1.2. apply LOD = three tenths of LOQ LOQ Inorganic tin ≤ 10 mg/kg Lead ML ≤ 0,02 mg/kg 0,02 < ML < 0,1 mg/kg ML ≥ 0,1 mg/kg ≤ ML ≤ two thirds of the ML ≤ one fifth of the ML Cadmium, mercury, inorganic arsenic ML ≤ 0,02 mg/kg 0,02 < ML < 0,1 mg/kg ML is ≥ 0,1 mg/kg ≤ two fifths of the ML ≤ two fifths of the ML ≤ one fifth of the ML’

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Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.

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