On 3 May the European Food Safety Authority decreed (1) the serious danger - especially for the younger sections of the population - of carcinogenic and genotoxic contaminants present in palm fat in extraordinary quantities. On 10 May Great Italian Food Trade published the 'Palma-Leaks'(2), food multinationals at least since 2004 have known about the health risks associated with palm trees and have increased their use rather than blocking it. Today, from the secret chambers of power in Brussels, another 'flood' of horrible news. Let's see what it's about.
We receive and publish excerpts from the 'Community sources' on the outcome of the meeting organized by the European Commission with the representatives of the Member States to address the 'palm toxicity' emergency:
- the expert group 'Industrial and Environmental Committee', section'Toxicological Safety of the Food Chain'- as part of the so-called' Standing Committee on Plants, Animals Food and Feed '- received presentation, by a representative of Efsa, of the scientific opinion of the Authority on the risks for human health associated with 3-mcpd, 2 -mcpd and glycol esters in food,
- the expert group agreed that European regulatory measures aimed at limiting the presence of such contaminants in food are 'appropriate to ensure a high level of protection of human health' (?),
- spokespersons from national governments and the Commission (DG Santé, sigh!) Also delighted in an 'initial exchange of views on possible options for risk management measures'. It then appears that an 'attempt at a calendar' has been presented for the debates on the subject,
- the next meeting of the 'Committee of Experts' should take place in the second half of June, 'probably'.
There are still no press releases on the 'palm risk' from Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, theoretically charged with protecting European consumers.
'Thinking badly makes you sin, but often you guess it', taught one of the protagonists of Italian politics of the last century (3). Perhaps it seems legitimate to suspect the connivance of the authorities responsible for safeguarding public health with the unusual 'clique' of large users of palm in the food industry and Asian producers of tropical fat. This could also explain the apparent tranquility of the respective lobbies (4), following the Efsa opinion.
In our own small way, we cheer for the safeguarding of public health which should follow the criteria established in Europe with the so-called 'General Food Law' (reg. CE 178/02).
Dario Dongo
(3) https://it.m.wikiquote.org/wiki/Giulio_Andreotti
(4) https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/palm-oil-the-game-is-almost-over
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
