2005, Volume IX, Issue 1REGULATORY NEWSThe European Commission Regulations (EC) No. 455/2004 ofMarch 11, 2004, and No. 1425/2003 of August 11, 2003, amending Regulation (EC) No. 466/2001 set maximum levels for patulin in fruit-based products. A limit of 50.0 µg/kg has been proposed for fruit juices and fruit nectars, in particular apple juice, and fruit juice ingredients in other beverages, as well as for concentrated fruit juices, spirit drinks, cider, and other fermented drinks derived from apples or containing apple juice. The limit for solid apple products, including compote, apple puree, and apple puree for direct consumption, is 25.0 µg/kg. For apple juice and solid apple products, including puree, and apple compote for infants and young children and other baby foods other than processed cereal-based foods, the maximum permitted level of patulin is 10.0 µg/kg. The problems associated with accurately testing for patulin at such low levels have recently been overcome with the introduction of two new validated analytical methods for determining patulin. CSL-York, of the United Kingdom, and the EC’s Joint Research Centre, of Geel,Belgium, developed the methods.Their limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) allow for accurate quantification of patulin at a level of 10 µg/kg in apple juice and mixed matrices. The reliability of the method for determining patulin at this level was confirmed by a method that was validated in a collaborative trial. For more details, see Official Journal of the European Union L 74, 12/03/2004; Official Journal L 203/1, 12.8.2003; Official Journal L 77, 16.3.2001. |