The European Commission has adopted an amendment to Regulation (EU) 2023/915 introducing new maximum levels for the sum of furan, 2-methylfuran, and 3-methylfuran in specific food categories, with a focus on foods intended for infants and young children.
The amendment adds a new entry under processing contaminants (Section 5.6), establishing limits expressed as furan equivalents. These compounds, which can form during thermal food processing, are subject to combined assessment using a correction factor applied to 2- and 3-methylfuran.
The newly established maximum levels are:
1.Processed cereal-based foods for infants and young children: 40 g/kg
2.Dairy-based and fruit-based baby foods (?80% dairy and/or fruit): 30 g/kg
3.Other baby foods: 80 g/kg
These limits are based on lower bound concentrations, assuming values below the limit of quantification are treated as zero. Additionally, a factor of 0.83 is applied to 2-methylfuran and 3-methylfuran when calculating the total.
To facilitate compliance, the regulation introduces a transitional provision allowing foods lawfully placed on the market before 1 January 2028 to remain available until their minimum durability or use-by date. The new rules will apply from 1 January 2028, following entry into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This measure strengthens the EUs framework for controlling processing contaminants in food, particularly those affecting vulnerable populations such as infants and young children.
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