Maximum levels for nitrate in lettuce and spinach

Citation

Jukes, D. (1999), "Maximum levels for nitrate in lettuce and spinach", British Food Journal, Vol. 101 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/bfj.1999.070101dab.015

Maximum levels for nitrate in lettuce and spinach

The European Commission’s (EC) Standing Committee for Foodstuffs agreed on 9 March an amendment to EC Regulation No 194/97 which sets maximum levels for nitrate in lettuce and spinach. This amending regulation will be published shortly in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

The main points to note are:

• •

  the extended date for future review of the maximum levels for lettuce and spinach, with present provisions continuing to apply;

• •

  the limits for spinach to be reviewed with those for lettuce;

• •

  maximum limits for fresh spinach will not apply to spinach subject to processing and transported directly in bulk from field to processing plant;

• •

  in the absence of appropriate labelling indicating the production method for lettuce, the limit for open-grown lettuce applies.

The EC amending regulation is directly applicable in the UK, and all other member states. However, domestic regulations are required to make provision for the enforcement and execution of the amending regulation in the UK. Appropriate amendments will now be made to The Contaminants in Food Regulations 1997 (Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 1499) to effect the changes into legislation. As is usual, separate but parallel legislation will be made in Northern Ireland.