Good environmental status for the descriptor ?pollutants in food? is achieved if the EU maximum levels for certain contaminants in food are not exceeded.In order to achieve good environmental status, discharges of pollutants should be reduced to levels that cannot accumulate pollutants in food that pose a risk to human health even if consumed in the long term. In order to protect consumers, the EU Regulation (1881/2006) sets maximum levels for certain contaminants in food, including fish and fishery products. Compliance with these EU food limits and the limits laid down in Directive 2006/113/EC on the quality requirements for shellfish waters complies with the GES for Descriptor 9.Compliance with the maximum levels used in accordance with D9 does not allow it to be concluded that good environmental status in accordance with Descriptor 8 is achieved for the pollutant in question, since the ecotoxicological criteria available for D8 when deriving corresponding limits and quality standards are significantly lower than those laid down in food law. The requirements for food monitoring do not correspond to those for environmental monitoring. Samples are taken only from parts intended for human consumption (muscles, soft parts, etc.) and these are not those parts in which the highest concentrations of pollutants can be expected. In addition, the origin, size and sex of the sampled fish are often not documented. In addition, contamination of the sampled goods may take place from the place of capture through trade to the laboratory. The measurement values from food monitoring are therefore of limited use for environmental monitoring. Compliance with the WFD environmental quality standards for priority and river-specific pollutants and the OSPAR objective of hazardous substances can help to achieve the GES. In the further development of the definition of good status for descriptor 9 in the German North Sea, the remaining gaps need to be analysed and further addressed.

Contaminants in fish and other seafood for human consumption do not exceed levels established by Community legislation or other relevant standards.


Polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxins and -furans in fish