TECHNICAL REPORT

APPROVED: 15 June 2017

doi:10.2903/sp.efsa.2017.EN-1262

Specific reporting requirements for contaminants and

food additives occurrence data submission
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

Abstract
EFSA requires data on the occurrence of chemicals in food to undertake dietary exposure
assessments. The Standard Sample Description (SSD) for food and feed is the EFSA standard for
transmission of chemical occurrence data from different data providers (Member States, academic
laboratories, industrial stakeholders, etc.) to EFSA. The SSD contains approximately 20 mandatory
data elements (fields) that enable a unique description of each sample. For some chemicals, more
detailed and specific information is necessary in order to describe the sample and analytical results.
This document describes the mandatory data elements and elaborates on specific reporting
requirements for submission of analytical occurrence data on specific contaminants in food and feed
as well as food additives to EFSA. It updates and replaces a previous version published in June 2015
in response to recommendations relating to data in EFSA’s Scientific Opinions. Reporting requirements
are valid from 2017 data transmission year.
© European Food Safety Authority, 2017

Key words: SSD, chemical contaminants, food additives, mandatory and recommended data
elements, specific requirements

Requestor: EFSA
Question number: EFSA-Q-2017-00496
Correspondence: data.collection@efsa.europa.eu

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Specific requirements

Acknowledgements: EFSA wishes to thank the following for the support provided to this scientific
output: Andrea Altieri, Davide Arcella, Valentina Bocca, Petra Gergelova, Jose Angel Gomez Ruiz, Ilaria
Magliano, Eniko Varga, Francesco Vernazza.
Suggested citation: EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), 2017. Specific reporting requirements
for contaminants and food additives occurrence data submission. EFSA supporting publication 2017:
EN-1262. 27 pp. doi:10.2903/sp.efsa.2017.EN-1262
ISSN: 2397-8325
© European Food Safety Authority, 2017
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

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Specific requirements

Summary
EFSA requires data on the occurrence of chemicals in food to undertake dietary exposure
assessments. The Standard Sample Description (SSD) for food and feed is the EFSA standard for
transmission of chemical occurrence data from different data providers (Member States, academic
laboratories, industrial stakeholders, etc.) to EFSA. The SSD contains approximately 20 mandatory
data elements (fields) that enable a unique description of each sample. For some chemicals, more
detailed and specific information is necessary in order to describe the sample and analytical results.
This document describes the mandatory data elements and elaborates on specific reporting
requirements for submission of occurrence data on specific chemical contaminants in food and feed as
well as food additives to EFSA. This document updates and replaces a previous version published on
30 June 2015 (EFSA supporting publication: EN-833) in response to recommendations relating to data
in EFSA’s Scientific Opinions. Updates to reporting requirements are shared with the EFSA Scientific
Network on Chemical Occurrence Data during its annual general meeting prior to updating this
technical report.
The following updates to specific reporting requirements, highlighted with a change bar in the text,
are included in the present report:
 The mandatory/recommended status of some data elements has been updated (Table 1: );
 Information and accompanying text relating to the analytical methods for MCPDs and Glycidyl
esters reporting has been updated (Table 10: & Table 11: );
 The reporting rules of ‘paramCode’ terms (PARAM catalogue) have been revised. Aggregated
terms, such as Dioxins, Mycotoxins etc., are not reportable. The reportability of PARAM terms
is shown in Annex VIII and Annex IX of this report, for contaminants and food additives,
respectively. Not reportable terms have been flagged with ‘0’ in ‘chemoccrepReportable’ and
‘addReportable’ columns, respectively;
 The unit of measurement (UNIT catalogue) has also been revised. In contaminants and food
additives occurrence data collections only units that can be converted into the standard unit
micrograms/kilogram are accepted. Acceptable UNIT terms are shown in Annex X of this
report;
 A syntax on how to report information in ‘Product comment’ has been defined (Table 2: ).

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Specific requirements

Table of contents

Abstract .........................................................................................................................................1
Summary .......................................................................................................................................3
1. Introduction........................................................................................................................5
1.1. Background as provided by EFSA .........................................................................................5
1.2. Additional information .........................................................................................................5
2. Mandatory and recommended data elements in the SSD .......................................................6
2.1. Reporting requirements applying to all contaminants and food additives ................................8
2.2. Reporting requirements applying to specific data collection of contaminants ......................... 12
2.2.1. Brominated Flame Retardants ............................................................................................ 12
2.2.2. Dioxins and PCBs .............................................................................................................. 13
2.2.3. Mineral Oils ...................................................................................................................... 14
2.2.4. Acrylamide ....................................................................................................................... 15
2.2.5. Furan ............................................................................................................................... 18
2.2.6. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ....................................................................................... 18
2.2.7. 3-MCPDs, 2-MCPDs and Glycidyl esters ............................................................................... 19
2.2.8. Mycotoxins ....................................................................................................................... 20
2.2.9. Arsenic and derivatives ...................................................................................................... 21
2.2.10. Cadmium and derivatives .................................................................................................. 22
2.2.11. Lead and derivatives ......................................................................................................... 22
2.2.12. Mercury and derivatives .................................................................................................... 23
2.2.13. Nitrates in vegetables and other food commodities ............................................................. 23
2.2.14. Chlorate and perchlorate ................................................................................................... 24
2.3. Reporting requirements applying to specific data collection of food additives occurrence ....... 25
3. Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 26
References ................................................................................................................................... 27
Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... 27
Annex 27

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Specific requirements

1. Introduction

1.1. Background as provided by EFSA

In the framework of Articles 23 and 33 of Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002, as last amended1, the
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is mandated by the European Commission (EC) to collect all
available data on the occurrence of different chemical contaminants in food and feed. In particular,
mandate M-2010-00742 describes the scope of the annual data collection of contaminants in food and
feed. Regulation (EC) No 1333/20083 on food additives requires that food additives are subject to a
safety evaluation by the EFSA before they are permitted for use in the European Union. In addition
food additives must be kept under continuous observation and must be re-evaluated by EFSA. For this
purpose, a programme for the re-evaluation of food additives that were already permitted in the
European Union before 20 January 2009 has been set up under Regulation (EC) No 257/20104. This
Regulation also foresees that food additives are re-evaluated whenever necessary in light of changing
conditions of use and new scientific information. Ad hoc calls for food additives data are published on
the EFSA website in accordance with the timeframe of the re-evaluation programme.

1.2. Additional information

The Standard Sample Description (SSD) (EFSA, 2010a) is the EFSA standard for receipt of chemical
occurrence data. It defines approximately 20 mandatory data elements (fields) to enable a unique
description of an analytical sample from a specific chemical substance data collection. For some
contaminants (e.g. acrylamide), more detailed and specific information is necessary to
comprehensively describe the sample and analytical results for the purposes of exposure assessment.
The specific reporting requirements, which are updated on regular basis in response to
recommendations pertaining to data collection in EFSA Scientific Opinions, are summarised in this
document. Each mandatory data element described in this document should be considered as an
addition to the current rules listed in Table 1 of the SSD Guidance (EFSA, 2010a) and in the Guidance
on Data Exchange (EFSA, 2010b) which remain valid until the replacement with the updated versions
of SSD Guidance (SSD2; EFSA, 2013) and Guidance of Data Exchange (GDE2; EFSA, 2014) will be
fully implemented.
Data submitted to EFSA is uploaded into EFSA’s chemical contaminants database through a web-
based interface, called Data Collection Framework (DCF) 5. This system validates the incoming data
against a set of different business rules, described in the Guidance on Data Exchange (EFSA, 2010b)
(general business rules) and in the current document (specific requirements). As a part of this process
the DCF checks the presence of the mandatory data elements. Data elements with missing
information, both mandatory for all chemical contaminants and for specific contaminants (i.e. specific
requirements), are rejected automatically by the DCF.
Therefore, data providers are required to adhere to the specific reporting requirements described in
this document to avoid data rejection.

1
Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January2002 laying down the general
principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in
matters of food safety. OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p.1-24.
2
http://registerofquestions.efsa.europa.eu/roqFrontend/questionsListLoader?mandate=M-2010-0074
3
Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on food additives. OJ L
354, 31.12.2008, p.16-33.
4
No 257/2010 of 25 March 2010 setting up a programme for the re-evaluation of approved food additives in accordance with
Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on food additives OJ L 80, 26.3.2010, p.80-98.
5
https://dcf.efsa.europa.eu/dcf-war/dc

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Specific requirements

2. Mandatory and recommended data elements in the SSD

The SSD contains 76 data elements (e.g. laboratory sample code, sampling year, sampling country,
etc.). Of these, approximately 20 are defined as ‘mandatory’ and the remainder are ‘recommended’
(e.g. list of ingredients, production method, etc.). In addition, some data elements are mandatory
only for specific contaminants (e.g. for data on acrylamide it is mandatory to provide the acrylamide
product categories, based on the Commission Recommendation 2010/307/EU).
• Mandatory: information that is essential for exposure assessment (e.g. product description or
analytical result value). If data are missing from a mandatory data element, the transmitted data
file from a Member State data provider to EFSA will be automatically rejected.
• Recommended: information that is useful for an exposure assessment (e.g. Limit of
qualification (LOQ) of the analytical method used). If data are missing from a recommended data
element, the transmitted data file from a Member State data provider to EFSA will not be
automatically rejected. However, EFSA requests data providers to provide, as much as possible,
information relating to recommended data elements in order to improve the quality of exposure
assessments.
Section 2.1 describes reporting requirements (mandatory or recommended) that apply to all chemical
contaminants, while sections 2.2 and 2.3 describe requirements that apply only to specific
contaminants and food additives, respectively.
Additionally, the Annexes of the current document are in separate worksheets of a MS® Excel file
(Specific_Requirements_2016_data_Annexes.xlsx) accompanying this document on EFSA’s website.
Annex I comprises all information contained in Table 1 to Table 19. Annex II summarises the
“mandatory” or “recommended” requirements for each chemical contaminant and food additive
described in detail in the current document. Annex III refers specifically to the data collection on
MCPDs and Glycidyl esters, and it provides the list of possible methods validated by American Oil
Chemists’ Society (AOCS) in October 2013 (AOCS, 2013) that should be specified in the data element
“analytical method text (R.11)”. Annex IV is linked to the specific data collection on acrylamide
(Table 6) and it provides the list of product categories and sub-categories based on Commission
Recommendation 2010/307/EU6 on the monitoring of acrylamide and Commission Recommendation
2013/647/EU7 on investigations into the levels of acrylamide in food (Annex, point C in the
legislation). Annex V provides the list of additive food categories. Annex VI and Annex VII contain
the specific business rules for contaminants and food additives data collections, respectively. Annex
VIII and Annex IX contain the specific hierarchies of the PARAM catalogue to be used for
contaminants and food additives data collection, respectively. Annex X contains the revised UNIT
catalogue to be used for contaminants and food additives data collections.

Table 1: Standard Sample Description data elements recommended or mandatory in the different
domains, applicable to transmission of data on the occurrence of contaminants and food
additives

Status of data
Status:
Element:
SSD Data Element Valid Applicable to
Mandatory/
from
Recommended
Laboratory sample code (S.01) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
Language (S.03) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
Country of sampling (S.04) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
Country of origin of the product
Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
(S.06)
Area of origin for fisheries code Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs),
Recommended 2016
(S.08) Dioxins, Mercury and derivatives

6
Commission Recommendation 2010/307/EU of 2 June 2010 on the monitoring of acrylamide levels in food. OJ L 137, 3.6.2010,
p.8-10.
7
Commission Recommendation 2013/647/EU of 8 November 2013 on investigations into the levels of acrylamide in food. OJ L
301, 12.11.2013, p.15-17.

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Specific requirements

Status of data
Status:
Element:
SSD Data Element Valid Applicable to
Mandatory/
from
Recommended
EFSA Product code (S.12) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
Product code (S.13) Mandatory 2011 ALL chemical contaminants
Product full text description
Mandatory 2011 ALL chemical contaminants
(S.14)
Packaging (S.16) Mandatory* 2016 *Bisphenol A (BPA), PAHs
Product treatment (S.17) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
Ingredients (S.20) Recommended 2010 Arsenic and derivatives, Acrylamide
Product comment (S.21) Mandatory* 2012 *Acrylamide, furan and food additives;
*Chlorate and perchlorate if the
Product comment (S.21) Mandatory* 2016 ‘Product treatment (S.17)’ is
“processed”
Year of sampling (S.28) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
Month of sampling (S 29) Recommended* 2016 *Acrylamide
Sampling strategy (S.33) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
Programme type (S.34) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants

Sampling method (S.35) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants

Sampling point (S.39) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants

Laboratory (L.1) Recommended 2013 ALL chemical contaminants
Laboratory accreditation (L.2) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
Result code (R.01) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
Year of analysis (R.02) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
Parameter code (R.06) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
*ALL chemical contaminants if the
Parameter full text description Mandatory* 2010
parameter code (R.06) is "Not in list"8
Parameter type (R.08) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
Analytical method code (R.10) Mandatory 2013 ALL chemical contaminants
Analytical method text (R.11) Mandatory* 2013 * 3-MCPD esters
*ALL chemical contaminants if the
Analytical method text (R.11) Mandatory* 2013 analytical method code (R.10) is
"Classification not possible” (a)
Accreditation procedure for the
Recommended 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
analytical method (R.12)
Result unit (R.13) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
*ALL chemical contaminants, if the
Result LOD (R.14) Mandatory* 2010 ‘Type of the result (R.27)’ is below
"Limit of Detection (<LOD)"
Result LOQ (R.15) Recommended 2016 ALL chemical contaminants
*ALL chemical contaminants, if the
Result value (R.18) Mandatory* 2010 ‘Type of the result (R.27)’ is "Numerical
value"
ALL chemical contaminants, but it is
Result value recovery (R.19) Recommended 2010
particularly important for mycotoxins
Result value corrected for
Recommended 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
recovery (R.20)
Result value uncertainty
Recommended 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
(R.22)

8
If there is no term in the pre-defined list of parameters, which appropriately describes a certain parameter, the “Not in list”
option shouldn’t be used; the data provider is kindly asked to send an email to Catalogues@efsa.europa.eu mailbox to request
the insertion of the missing term.

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Specific requirements

Status of data
Status:
Element:
SSD Data Element Valid Applicable to
Mandatory/
from
Recommended
*ALL chemical contaminants if results
Percentage of moisture in the
Mandatory* 2010 are expressed on a 'dry weight'; ‘88%
original sample (R.23)
dry matter’ or ‘40% dry matter’ basis.
*ALL chemical contaminants if the
Percentage of fat in the results are expressed on a 'fat weight'
Mandatory* 2010
original sample (R.24) basis.

*BFRs, Dioxins and PCBs, 3-MCPD

Percentage of fat in the
Recommended* 2016 esters, even if the results are
original sample (R.24)
expressed on a ’ whole weight‘ basis
Expression of result (R.25) Mandatory 2013 ALL chemical contaminants
Type of result (R.27) Mandatory 2010 ALL chemical contaminants
ALL chemical contaminants. Since the
analytical result depends on the
preparation condition of the food
product, please report here whether the
Comment of the result (R32) Recommended 2010 product has been prepared before the
analysis and report also the preparation
conditions. Applies especially for
acrylamide, furan, dioxins, PCBs and
mycotoxins
* Mandatory/Recommended for particular chemical contaminants

(a) If there is no exact term in the pre-defined list of analytical methods, which describes the analytical technique
used, the “Classification not possible” option can be selected.

2.1. Reporting requirements applying to all contaminants and food

additives
Table 2 describes reporting requirements which apply to occurrence data pertaining to ALL
contaminants and food additives submitted from Member State data providers to EFSA, irrespective of
whether a substance is listed in this document.

Table 2: Reporting requirements for ALL contaminants in food and feed and food additives

SSD Data Element Description/requirements

Laboratory sample code
(S.01)
Language (S.03)*
Country of sampling (S.04)*
Country of origin of the
product (S.06)*
EFSA product code (S.12)*
Laboratory sample code must be identified by a unique sample identification
number, not longer than 20 characters.
The language used to complete the free text fields of the table must be
specified.
The country of sampling is the country where the commodity was selected
for laboratory testing.
The country of origin is the country where the commodity originates from. It
is particularly important to avoid the code “unknown (XX)”, especially when
reporting data from raw agricultural commodities.
Food and feed products should be described according to the “FoodEx”
catalogue of the SSD. It is envisaged that detailed information on the
different food groups will be needed to perform the exposure assessment. It
is mandatory to report at least the level 2 of the FoodEx code. It is strongly
encouraged to classify the food samples at the most detailed hierarchical
level available (FoodEx level 3 and 4). This is particularly needed for food
groups like “Food for infants and small children” and “Products for special
nutritional use”, where any available additional descriptions shall be
provided.
Specific attention needs to be given to the reporting of data on cereal

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Specific requirements
SSD Data Element
Product code (S.13)*
Product full text description
(S.14)
Product treatment (S.17)*
Year of sampling (S.28)
Sampling strategy (S.33)
Programme type (S.34)*
Sampling method (S.35)*
Sampling point (S.39)*
Laboratory code (L.01)
Laboratory accreditation
(L.02)*
Result code (R.01)
Year of analysis (R.02)
9
Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on official controls performed to
ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules. OJ L 165, 30.4.2004,
p.1-141.
10
Regulation (EC) No 2076/2005 of 5 December 2005 laying down transitional arrangements for the implementation of
Regulations (EC) No 853/2004, (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council and
amending Regulations (EC) No 853/2004 and (EC) No 854/2004. OJ L 338, 22.12.2005, p.83-88.
www.efsa.europa.eu/publications
Description/requirements
grains.
It is very important to make a clear distinction between grains as harvested
(unprocessed grains of undefined use, not for human exposure assessment),
grains for human consumption and grains as feed. For this reason three
distinct groups are available within the FoodEx catalogue.
Please be aware that the Feed codes starting with “F” are not in use any
longer’; “G” codes should be used instead.
Product under analysis described according to the Matrix catalogue of the
SSD that is currently available. Please note that the Matrix catalogue is
created for pesticide data collection and for contaminants data collection; it
is allowed to use the code “XXXXXXA” “Not in list”.
Product full text description is essential to check if the EFSA product code
(FoodEx code) given by the data provider is consistent with the text
description. This will avoid any possible mistakes in coding and additional
clarification requests. In addition, as this is a free text element the
information could be provided even in the national language. Original
description of the sample from the national database can be copied here. It
should be avoided to repeat just the FoodEx description. Moreover, any
additional information that does not belong to any of the other SSD fields
should be reported in S.14.
It is mandatory to clearly indicate if the original sample is treated or not,
especially if it is a dehydrated product (select: "Dehydration", T131A); in the
absence of this information the status “as consumed” will be assumed.
In case the sampling has been performed over a period of time the start
date of sampling should be reported.
It is mandatory to describe how the sample was selected from the
population being monitored or surveyed.
The programme type must be reported to indicate the type of control
programme or other type of source to which the sample belongs.
It is mandatory to define the way the samples have been collected for
analysis. In case of pooled samples, the number of the sample also should
be provided in ‘Number of samples (S.36). (The default value of the number
of the sample is "1").
It is obligatory to define the point of the food chain where the sample was
taken.
It is highly recommended to report here a unique code to identify each
laboratory providing laboratory results. The laboratory code should be
consistent through all the data transmissions. If more information or
clarification is needed about a sample, it simplifies the procedure if the
laboratory code where the analysis was performed is reported.
In accordance with Article 12 of Regulation 882/20049, laboratories
designated for official controls must be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, or avail
of the derogation in Article 18 of Regulation 2076/200510.
The result code should be unique for each single record. If it is not provided
by the laboratory, it must be created, e.g. by merging the sample code with
the parameter code. Example: a sample (Samp001) has been analysed for
Mercury (RF-00000170-CHE) and Cadmium (RF-00000150-CHE). The
created result code could be: Samp001_170 and Samp001_150.
It is mandatory to report the year of analysis. If the analysis has been
performed over a period of time the completion date of analysis should be
stated.
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Specific requirements

SSD Data Element Description/requirements

It is mandatory to code the contaminants using the code from the SSD
PARAM catalogue. It is strongly encouraged to classify the parameter at the
most detailed hierarchical level available. In case the parameter is not
Parameter code (R.06)*
included in the PARAM catalogue the code “Not in list” should not be
reported and an email to Catalogues@efsa.europa.eu mailbox should be
sent to request the insertion of the missing term.
It is mandatory to indicate whether parameter reported is an individual
Parameter type (R.08)*
parameter or parameter sum.

Analytical method code It is mandatory to specify the analytical instrument used (Commission
(R.10)* Regulations (EU) 252/201211 and 278/ 201212).

Accreditation procedure for
the analytical method (R.12)
Result unit (R.13)*
Result LOQ (R.15)
For data quality issues it is recommended to report the accreditation
procedure for the analytical method.
It is obligatory to report the unit of measurement for the values reported in
“Result LOD”, “Result LOQ”, “Result Value”, “Result uncertainty”, “Result
uncertainty standard deviation”, “CC alpha”, “CC beta” or “Result legal limit”.
Be aware that the unit of measurement should be consistent for all
elements.
For the management of left censored data, it is highly recommended to
report at least the LOQ of the analytical method regardless of what is
selected in data elements Result value (R.18) and Type of result (R.27).

It is recommended to provide the recovery value associated with the

Result value recovery (R.19) concentration measurement (as a percentage) when an extraction step is
applied in the analytical method.

Result value corrected for It is recommended to report if the result value has been corrected for
recovery (R. 20) recovery (yes/no).

Result value uncertainty
(R.22)
Expression of result (R.25)*
Type of result (R.27)*
Comment on result (R.32)
It is recommended to provide the expanded uncertainty (95% confidence
interval) associated with the concentration measurement.
It is mandatory to express the results in the same units as the maximum
levels laid down in Regulation (EC) 1881/200613 and Directive 2002/32/EC14:
 88% dry matter for feed,
 Fat weight for products of terrestrial animal origin, marine oils and
vegetable oils and fats,
 Whole weight of the products ready to use (marketed as such or
after reconstitution as instructed by the manufacturer) for foods for
infants and young children,
Whole weight for the other food products. (Commission Regulations (EU)
252/2012 and 278/2012).
The data elements “Result value”, “Result qualitative value” and “type of
result” are used to describe different type of results of an analysis;
therefore, reporting the “Type of result” is mandatory for all contaminants.
When the analysis is carried out after preparation of the product (e.g.
dehydrated product reconstituted “as consumed” (infant and follow-up
formulae, coffee grounded) or food cooked as consumed (precooked French
fries/potato product for home cooking), it is recommended to report the

11
Commission Regulation (EU) No 252/2012 of 21 March 2012 laying down methods of sampling and analysis for the official
control of levels of dioxins, dioxin- like PCBs and non-dioxin-like PCBs in certain foodstuffs and repealing Regulation (EC) No
1883/2006. OJ L 84, 23.3.2012, p.1-22.
12
Commission Regulation (EU) No 278/2012 of 28 March 2012 amending Regulation (EC) No 152/2009 as regards the
determination of the levels of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls. OJ L 91, 29.3.2012, p.8-21.
13
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in
foodstuffs. OJ L 364, 20.12.2006, p.5-23.
14
Directive 2002/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 May 2002 on undesirable substances in animal feed.
OJ L 140, 30.5.2002, p.10.

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Specific requirements
SSD Data Element
Clarification note on Result
value (R.18), Result value
recovery (R.19) and Result
value corrected for recovery
(R.20)
Product comment (S.21)
*Denotes catalogues in SSD
www.efsa.europa.eu/publications
Description/requirements
conditions used for the preparation.
The analytical results reported in the data element Result value (R.18)
should reflect the best numerical value that the data provider would
associate with the analytical measurement if following Good Laboratory
Practice (GLP). The reported value should reflect the most accurate estimate
of the occurrence level of the chemical substance analysed, taking into
account any correction for recovery as appropriate. EFSA will not apply any
correction for recovery during data management but will consider the
reported value as the final value to be used for data analysis and exposure
assessment.
For this reason, the terminology associated with the data element “Result
value corrected for recovery” will include only an option of “most accurate
result value estimate”. However we would still encourage the provision of
additional information on the recovery of the analytical method (to be
reported in Result value recovery (R.19)) to improve the quality of the
assessment.
Product comment is used to report additional requested information, to
identify a food product. To ease the process of data extraction and analysis
from this free text field the following syntax is defined and should be
followed by data providers. Each piece should include a header identifying
the type of information reported followed by the equal sign and its value.
Different types of information should be separated by a double ash ‘##’, as
reported in the examples in the table below.
The list of allowed headers and their allowed values is shown in the
following table (please note that headers are not case sensitive and spaces
are not allowed):
Header Reference Example
foodEx2 product classification according to foodEx2=A011N#F19.
FoodEx2 A07PR$F02.A0EJN
foodCatAcrylami additional product classification foodCatAcrylamide
de based on Commission =1.2
Recommendation 2010/307/EU on
the monitoring of acrylamide
furanAnalysis analysis detail based on Commission furanAnalysis=as
Recommendation 2007/196/EC on consumed
the monitoring of the presence of
furan in foodstuffs (analysed ‘as
consumed’ or ‘as purchased’)
foodCatM42 additional product classification foodCatM42=01.6.3
(food category codes) based
Commission Regulation (EC) No
1333/2008 on food additives, as
amended
treat treatment of the product (mandatory treat=washing with
when reporting data on recycled water
chlorates/perchlorates and
prodTreat is “processed”)
comment any other comment that data comment=heated in
providers wish to report microwave
Overall Examples:
- FoodEx2=A011N#F19.A07PR##foodCatAcrylamide=3.1##commen
t=Oven180°C~23min##
- FoodEx2=A03GV#F28.A07MK##furanAnalysis=Analysed as
consumed##
11 EFSA Supporting publication 2017:EN-1262
Specific requirements

2.2. Reporting requirements applying to specific data collection of

contaminants
Tables 3 to 18 describe requirements which apply to occurrence data pertaining to specific
contaminants submitted from Member State data providers to EFSA.
For each contaminant, the status of each data element (recommended or mandatory) is defined.
2.2.1. Brominated Flame Retardants

Table 3: Specific requirements for Brominated Flame Retardants data collection

Brominated Flame Retardants

Status of Data
Element
SSD Data Element Comments
(Mandatory/
Recommended
If data are reported on fish, it is recommended to specify the
Area of origin for area of origin for fisheries. When the specific information on
fisheries or “Area of origin for fisheries or aquaculture activities code”
aquaculture (S.08) is not available (“Unknown [M99]”) as a minimum the
Recommended
activities code and fish original environment should be given (“from fresh water”
text (S.08 and or “from salty water”) in Area of origin for fisheries or
S.09) aquaculture activities text (S.09).

Parameter code Please see reporting rules in Annex VIII (column f).
Mandatory
(R.06)

It is mandatory to provide the percentage of fat if the result

Mandatory has been expressed on a fat weight basis.
Percentage of fat
in the original It is strongly recommended to always report the percentage of
sample (R.24) Recommended fat in the original sample (regardless the result value is
expressed on a whole weight, on fat weight or dry matter).

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Specific requirements

2.2.2. Dioxins and PCBs

Table 4: List of specific requirements for Dioxins and DL-PCBs, non dioxin-like PCBs data collection

Dioxins and DL-PCBs, non dioxin-like PCBs

Status of Data Element
SSD Data
(Mandatory/ Comments
Element
Recommended
If data are reported on fish, it is recommended to specify the
Area of origin for area of origin for fisheries. When the specific information on
fisheries or “Area of origin for fisheries or aquaculture activities code”
aquaculture (S.08) is not available (“Unknown [M99]”) as a minimum the
Recommended
activities code fish original environment should be given (“from fresh water”
and text (S.08 or “from salty water”) in Area of origin for fisheries or
and S.09) aquaculture activities text (S.09).

EFSA product Mandatory FoodEx code is mandatory to report for ALL contaminants.
code (S.12) It is particularly important to classify the samples of fish meat
Recommended
and fish products at the most detailed FoodEx level available.
Product full text description is mandatory to report for ALL
Product full text Mandatory
contaminants.
description
(S.14) If data are reported on fish, it is strongly recommended to
Recommended precisely report the analysed fish species, especially fish
originated from the Baltic region.
If data are reported on fish, it is recommended to report the
Product
Recommended length and/or weight of the fish samples (measurement
comment (S.21)
Regulation (EC) 850/9815 and Regulation (EC) 2187/200516.

Year, month and

If data are reported on fish, it is recommended to report here,
day of production Recommended
when the fish has been caught.
(S.22-24)

The full set of the 29 dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs (17 PCDD/F,
12 dl-PCB), as listed in the Appendix to Annex II of the
Commission Regulation (EC) 1881/2006, are mandatory
Parameter code when reporting results on dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs. For the
Mandatory
(R.06) non-dioxin-like PCBs, the six indicator congeners (PCB 28, 52,
101, 138, 153, and 180) are mandatory. It is mandatory to
report analytical results at congener level. Please see
reporting rules in Annex VIII (column f).

It is highly recommended to report the percentage of fat in

the original sample for food samples with maximum or action
levels expressed on a fat basis: products of terrestrial animal
Recommended
origin, marine oils and vegetables oils and fats (marine oils
Percentage of fat included) (Commission Regulation (EU) 252/2012 and
in the original 278/2012).
sample (R.24)
It is recommended to provide the percentage of fat for the
Recommended
other samples, when the lipid content was determined.

15
Council Regulation (EC) No 850/98 of 30 March 1998 for the conservation of fishery resources through technical measures for
the protection of juveniles of marine organisms. OJ L 125, 27.4.1998, p. 1.
16
Council Regulation (EC) No 2187/2005 of 21 December 2005 for the conservation of fishery resources through technical
measures in the Baltic Sea, the Belts and the Sound, amending Regulation (EC) No 1434/98 and repealing Regulation (EC)
No 88/98. OJ L 349, 31.12.2005, p.1-23.

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Specific requirements

Dioxins and DL-PCBs, non dioxin-like PCBs

Status of Data Element
SSD Data
(Mandatory/ Comments
Element
Recommended
In case the sample was reconstituted before analysis, e.g.
foods for infants and young children, it is recommended to
Comment of
Recommended provide relevant information on the exact reconstitution
result (R.32)
protocol (ratio dry product: added fluid (description of the
fluid used) Examples: “10:90 (milk)”, “20:80 (water)”

2.2.3. Mineral Oils

Table 5: List of specific requirements for Mineral Oils data collection

Mineral Oils
Status of Data
SSD Data Element
Comments
Element (Mandatory/
Recommended
Percentage of
It is recommended to always report the percentage of moisture
moisture in the
Recommended in the original sample (regardless of whether the result value is
original sample
expressed in whole weight, in fat weight or dry matter).
(R.23)
The data providers are requested to report information on the
molecular mass distribution expressed as number or carbon
Comment of
Recommended atoms (referring to n-alkanes) including:
result (R.32)
 range of carbon atoms and
 maximum of the distribution curve

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Specific requirements

2.2.4. Acrylamide

Table 6: List of specific requirements for Acrylamide data collection

Acrylamide
Status of Data
SSD Data Element
Comments
Element (Mandatory/
Recommended)
It is recommended to mention in the product full text
description the following additional information:
Potato crisps (category 2): indicate whether batch fried or
continuously fried.
Product full text Pre-cooked French fries/home products (category 3): indicate
description Recommended whether the product is purchased fresh/frozen, and whether the
(S.14) starting material is fresh potato or potato dough.
Crisp bread (category 6): indicate whether the product is/isn’t
fermented.
Roasted coffee (category 7): indicate the degree of roasting
(light, medium, dark).
Country of
It is recommended to provide the country where the food was
processing (S. Recommended
processed (ISO 3166-1-alpha-2).
10)
It is recommended to provide the list of ingredients for the
following food items: “Potato crisps”, “Pre-cooked French fries,
Product potato products for home cooking”, “Breakfast cereals
ingredients (S. Recommended (excluding muesli and porridge)” “Substitute coffee (dry)” and
20) “Baby foods, other than processed cereal based foods”. The
different ingredients, including additives, should be separated
by a “$”.
In addition to EFSA product code (S.12), it is mandatory to
provide additional product classification based on Commission
Recommendation 2010/307/EU on the monitoring of acrylamide
Mandatory and Commission Recommendation 2013/647/EU17 on
Product investigations into the levels of acrylamide in food (Annex, point
comment (S.21) C). The list of codes to be used is provided in Table 7. The
syntax on how to report the code is defined in Table 2: .
It is strongly recommended to classify the food samples at the
Recommended most detailed hierarchical level available (food sub-categories
codes).
Month of sampling should be indicated for the food categories
Month of 1-3 (Potato products) based on Commission Recommendation
Recommended
sampling (S 29) 2010/307/EC on the monitoring of acrylamide (Annex, point C
1-3.)
Result value
If available, information on the measurement uncertainty should
uncertainty Recommended
be provided (range to be given in %)
(R.21-22)
For the samples of the food category 3 (Pre-cooked French
fries/potato product for home cooking ) e.g. pre-cooked French
fries, which have to be prepared “as consumed” before analysis,
it is relevant to provide information on the exact cooking
conditions (time, temperature and handling information). In
Comment of
Recommended addition, if the sample has been reconstituted before analysis,
result (R.32)
e.g. instant coffee powder, foods for infant and young children,
it is relevant to provide information on the exact reconstitution
protocol (ratio dry product: added fluid ;description of the fluid
used) Examples: “2:100 (water)”, “10:90 (milk)”, “20:80
(water)”.

17
Commission Recommendation No 2013/647/EU of 8 November 2013 on investigations into the levels of acrylamide in food.
OJ L 301, 12.11.2013, p.15-17.

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Specific requirements

Important

The official deadline for Acrylamide data submission to EFSA is by 1 June each year according to the Commission
Recommendation (2010/307/EU).

Table 7: List of food categories, sub-categories and respective codes based on Commission
Recommendation 2010/307/EU on the monitoring of acrylamide and Commission
Recommendation 2013/647/EU (Annex, point C) on investigations into the levels of
acrylamide in food. Codes at the most detailed hierarchical level (food sub-category codes)
must be reported in the Product comment field of the SSD (S.21) when submitting data on
Acrylamide.

Food sub-
Food category
category Food category and sub-food category text
code
code
1 French fries sold as ready to eat
1.1 French fries from fresh potatoes
1.2 French fries from potato dough
1.3* Unspecified French fries sold as ready to eat
2 Potato crisps and potato-based crackers
2.1 Potato crisp from fresh potatoes
2.2 Potato crisp from potato dough
2.3* Unspecified potato crisps
2.4 Potato-based crackers
3 Pre-cooked French fries, potato products for home cooking
3.1 Fries baked in the oven (oven fries)
3.2 Deep fried fries
3.3* Unspecified pre-cooked French fries, potato products for home cooking
4 Soft bread
4.1 Wheat based bread
4.2 Soft bread other than wheat based bread
4.3* Unspecified soft bread
5 Breakfast cereals (excluding porridge)
5.1 Maize, oat, spelt, barley and rice based products(a)
5.2 Wheat and rye based products(a)
5.3 Bran products and whole grain cereals, gun puffed grain(b)
5.4* Unspecified breakfast cereals (excluding porridge)
Biscuits, crackers, crisp bread and similar (excluding pastry and
6
cake)
6.1 Crackers with the exception of potato based crackers
6.2 Crisp bread
6.3 Biscuits and wafers
6.4 Gingerbread
6.5 Products similar to the other products in this category
7 Coffee and coffee substitutes
7.1 Roasted coffee (dry)
7.2 Instant coffee (dry)

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Specific requirements

7.3 Substitute coffee (dry) mainly based on cereals

7.4 Other coffee substitutes (dry)
7.5* Not specified coffee and coffee substitutes (dry)
8 Baby foods , other than processed cereal based foods
8.1 Baby foods not containing prunes
8.2 Baby foods, containing prunes
8.3* Unspecified baby foods
9 Processed cereal-based foods for infants and young children
9.1 Biscuits and rusks for infants and young children
9.2 Other processed cereal-based foods for infants and young children
9.3* Unspecified processed cereal-based foods for infants and young children
10* Other products, based on cereals, potatoes, cocoa and coffee
10.1* Porridge
10.2* Cake and pastry
10.3* Savoury snacks
10.4* Other products, based on cereals
10.5* Other products, based on potatoes
10.6* Other products, based on cocoa
10.7* Unspecified other products based on cereals, potatoes, cocoa and coffee
11* Other products, not based on cereals, potatoes, cocoa and coffee
*Added by EFSA Evidence Management (DATA) unit to improve the quality of the classification.
(a): Non-whole grain and/or non-bran based cereals. The cereal present in the largest quantity determines the
category.
(b): Gun puffed only relevant if labelled.

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Specific requirements

2.2.5. Furan

Table 8: List of specific requirements for Furan data collection

Furan
Status of Data
SSD Data Element
Comments
Element (Mandatory/
Recommended

It is mandatory to report the following information on the

sample: “Analysed as purchased” or “Analysed as consumed”
Product
Mandatory (Commission Recommendation 2007/196/EC18 on the
comment (S.21)
monitoring of the presence of furan in foodstuffs). The syntax
on how to report the information is defined in Table 2: .

In case the product is analysed as consumed, it is relevant to

provide information on the exact cooking preparation with time,
Comment of
Recommended temperature and handling information (using the $ character to
result (R.32)
separate extra information). Example “Heated in microwave at
60°C$1.5mins”.

2.2.6. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Table 9: List of specific requirements for Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) data collection

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Status of Data
SSD Data Element
Comments
Element (Mandatory/
Recommended
It is mandatory to describe the container or wrapper that
contains the product. Commission Regulation (EC) No
Packaging (S.16) Mandatory
333/200719 gives specific instructions to avoid certain containers
when analysing PAHs.
It is recommended to provide the recovery value associated
with the concentration measurement (as a percentage) when an
Result value
Recommended extraction step is applied in the analytical method. (Commission
recovery (R.19)
Regulation (EC) No 333/2007).

Result value It is recommended to provide the expanded uncertainty (95%

uncertainty confidence interval) associated with the concentration
(R.22) Recommended
measurement (Commission Regulation (EC) No 333/2007).

18
Commission Recommendation No 2007/196/EC of 28 March 2007 on the monitoring of the presence of furan in foodstuff. OJ
L 88, 29.3.2007, p.56-57.
19
Commission Regulation (EC) No 333/2007 of 28 March 2007 laying down the methods of sampling and analysis for the official
control of the levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, inorganic tin, 3-MCPD and benzo(a)pyrene in foodstuffs. OJ L 88, 29.3.2007,
p.29-28.

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Specific requirements

2.2.7. 3-MCPDs, 2-MCPDs and Glycidyl esters

Table 10: List of specific requirements for MCPDs and Glycidyl esters data collection

MCPD and Glycidyl esters

Status of Data
SSD Data Element
Comments
Element (Mandatory/
Recommended
Parameter code
Mandatory Please see reporting rules in Annex VIII (column f).
(R.06)
For the analysis of 3- and 2-MCPD esters and Glycidyl esters it is
mandatory to clarify whether the samples have been analysed
with one of the three methods validated by the American Oil
Analytical Chemists’ Society (AOCS) in October 2013 (AOCS, 2013) (or a
method text Mandatory variant of them), or a different method. In case of the three
(R.11) methods, the appropriate code from Table 11: has to be
reported; otherwise a reference to the different method has to be
provided. The same applies in the case of 3- and 2-MCPD total
referring to the ester part of the sum.
Percentage of fat It is recommended to always report the percentage of fat in the
in the original Recommended original sample (regardless of whether the result value is
sample (R.24) expressed on a whole weight, fat weight or dry matter basis).

The recommended methods for ester analysis are the three methods validated by American Oil
Chemists’ Society (AOCS) in October 2013.

Table 11: List of codes of the recommended analysis techniques for analysing esters

Code Applied analysis step

AOCS validated methods for MCPD and Glycidyl esters
AOCS Official Method Cd 29a-1320
AOCS1 2- and 3-MCPD Fatty Acid Esters and Glycidol Fatty Acid Esters in Edible Oils and Fats by Acid
Transesterification
AOCS Official Method Cd 29b-1321
AOCS2 Determination of Bound Monochloropropanediol- (MCPD-) and Bound 2,3-epoxy-1-propanol (glycidol-)
by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
AOCS Official Method Cd 29c-1322
AOCS3 Fatty-acid-bound 3-chloropropane-1,2,diol (3-MCPD) and 2,3-epoxi-propane-1-ol (glycidol),
Determination in Oils and Fats by GC/MS (Differential Measurement)

20
http://search.aocs.org/methods/search_methods_view_method.cfm?method=CD29A_13.pdf
21
http://search.aocs.org/methods/search_methods_view_method.cfm?method=CD29B_13.pdf
22
http://search.aocs.org/methods/search_methods_view_method.cfm?method=CD29C_13.pdf

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Specific requirements

2.2.8. Mycotoxins

Table 12: List of specific requirements for Mycotoxins data collection

Mycotoxins
Status of Data
SSD Data Element
Comments
Element (Mandatory/
Recommended
It is important to classify the food/feed samples of grains at the
EFSA product most detailed FoodEx level available. This is particularly needed
Mandatory
code (S.12) for “Grains and grain-based products” and “Food for infants and
young children”.
Parameter code
Mandatory Please see reporting rules in Annex VIII (column f).
(R.06)
Method of It is recommended to report whether the sample was obtained
production Recommended from the produce of traditional (non-organic) or organic
(S.15) farming.
It is recommended to provide the recovery value associated
Result value
Recommended with the concentration measurement (as a percentage)
recovery (R.19)
(Commission Regulation (EC) No 401/2006)23.

Result value It is recommended to provide the expanded uncertainty (95%

uncertainty Recommended confidence interval) associated with the concentration
(R.22) measurement (Commission Regulation (EC) No 401/2006).

Percentage of
It is recommended to report the percentage of moisture in the
moisture in the
Recommended original sample of feed and for processed cereals based foods
original sample
for infant and young children.
(R.23)
In case the sample was reconstituted before analysis, e.g. infant
formulae and follow-on formulae, it would be relevant to
Comment of
Recommended provide information on the exact reconstitution protocol (ratio
result (R.32)
dry product: added fluid (description of the fluid used)
Examples: “14:86 (water)”.

23
Regulation (EC) No 401/2006 of 23 February 2006 laying down the methods of sampling and analysis for the official control
of the levels of mycotoxins in foodstuffs. OJ L 70, 9.3.2006, p.12-34.

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Specific requirements

2.2.9. Arsenic and derivatives

Table 13: List of specific requirements for Arsenic and derivatives data collection

Arsenic and derivatives

Status of Data
SSD Data Element
Comments
Element (Mandatory/
Recommended
Product full text description is mandatory to report for ALL
Mandatory
contaminants.
If data reported: On seaweed, it is strongly recommended to
provide information on seaweed to identify the presence of the
alga Hijiki.
For rice, it is strongly recommended to provide information about
Product full text the type of the rice selecting one of the categories below:
description - Paddy rice (rice grain) is rice (species Oryza sativa L.),
(S.14) which has retained its husk after threshing.
Recommended
- Husked rice (brown rice or cargo rice) is paddy rice
from which the husk only has been removed. The
process of husking and handling may result in some loss
of bran.
- Polished rice (milled rice or white rice) is husked rice
from which all or [part of] the bran and germ have been
removed by milling.
Reporting data on rice (as grains for human consumption). In
order to be able to distinguish raw rice and rice that has
undergone any kind of treatment, the “product treatment (S.17)
is mandatory to provide at least the codes for “unprocessed” or
Product
Mandatory “processed” respectively). In case "processed" is selected the
treatment (S.17)
type of preparation should be described in Comment of result
(R.32). Additionally, it is recommended to clearly indicate if the
original sample is a dehydrated product (select: "Dehydration",
T131A).
Reporting of rice based products. If a product contains rice (e.g.
ready to eat meal for children, cereal based; rice cake) it should
be specified in this field, together with the details on the variety
Ingredient (S.20) Recommended
of rice, if known. Furthermore, it is recommended to describe the
type of alga included in alga-based foods for special nutritional
use.
If data are reported on rice, it is recommended to report the
growth conditions of the plant:
- Flooded condition: the paddy field, where rice is grown
is filled or covered with water during growth.
- Aerobic condition: the soil in a paddy field, where rice is
grown is more aerobic than flooded condition. (Aerobic
Product
Recommended rice technology is a production system in which rice is
comment (S.21)
grown in well-drained, non-puddled, and non-saturated
soils.)
- Intermittent ponding: a variety of possible water
management practices in which a paddy field is
alternately in flooded and aerobic/non-flooded condition.
- Production under irrigation.
Parameter code
Mandatory Please see reporting rules in Annex VIII (column f).
(R.06)

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Specific requirements

2.2.10. Cadmium and derivatives

Table 14: List of specific requirements for Cadmium and derivatives data collection

Cadmium and derivatives

Status of Data
SSD Data Element
Comments
Element (Mandatory/
Recommended

It is recommended to provide the recovery value associated

Result value with the concentration measurement (as a percentage) when an
Recommended
recovery (R.19) extraction step is applied in the analytical method. (Commission
Regulation (EC) No 333/200724.)

Result value It is recommended to provide the expanded uncertainty (95%

uncertainty Recommended confidence interval) associated with the concentration
(R.22) measurement (Commission Regulation (EC) No 333/2007).

2.2.11. Lead and derivatives

Table 15: List of specific requirements for Lead and derivatives data collection

Lead and derivatives

Status of Data
SSD Data Element
Comments
Element (Mandatory/
Recommended

It is recommended to provide the recovery value associated

Result value with the concentration measurement (as a percentage) when an
Recommended
recovery (R.19) extraction step is applied in the analytical method (Commission
Regulation (EC) No 333/2007).

Result value It is recommended to provide the expanded uncertainty (95%

uncertainty Recommended confidence interval) associated with the concentration
(R.22) measurement (Commission Regulation (EC) No 333/2007).

24
Commission Regulation (EC) No 333/2007 of 28 March 2007 laying down the methods of sampling and analysis for the official
control of the levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, inorganic tin, 3-MCPD and benzo(a)pyrene in foodstuffs. OJ L 88, 29.3.2007,
p.29-38.

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Specific requirements

2.2.12. Mercury and derivatives

Table 16: List of specific requirements for Mercury and derivatives data collection

Mercury and derivatives

Status of Data
Element
SSD Data Element Comments
(Mandatory/
Recommended
If data are reported on fish, it is recommended to specify the
Area of origin for
area of origin for fisheries. In case, the specific information on
fisheries or
“Area of origin for fisheries or aquaculture activities code”
aquaculture
Recommended (S.08) is not available (“Unknown [M99]”) at least the fish
activities code and
original environment should be given (“from fresh water” or
text (S.08 and
“from salty water”) in Area of origin for fisheries or aquaculture
S.09)
activities text (S.09).
It is particularly important to classify the samples of fish meat,
EFSA product code
Recommended seafood and fish/seafood products at the most detailed FoodEx
(S.12)
level available.

Parameter code
Mandatory Please see reporting rules in Annex VIII (column f).
(R.06)

2.2.13. Nitrates in vegetables and other food commodities

Table 17: List of specific requirements for Nitrates in vegetables and other food commodities data
collection

Nitrates in vegetables and other food commodities

Status of Data
Element
SSD Data Element Comments
(Mandatory/
Recommended

It is recommended to provide the recovery value associated

Result value
Recommended with the concentration measurement (as a percentage).
recovery (R.19)
(Commission Regulation (EC) No 1882/200625).

It is recommended to provide the expanded uncertainty (95%

Result value
Recommended confidence interval) associated with the concentration
uncertainty (R.22)
measurement (Commission Regulation (EC) No 1882/2006).

25
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1882/2006 of 19 December 2006 laying down methods of sampling and analysis for the
official control of the levels of nitrates in certain foodstuffs. OJ L 364, 20.12.2006, p.25.

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Specific requirements

2.2.14. Chlorate and perchlorate

Table 18: List of specific requirements for chlorate and perchlorate data collection

Chlorate, Perchlorate26
Status of Data
SSD Data Element
Comments
Element (Mandatory/
Recommended)
Some product treatments, like deep-freezing, blanching or
treatments at elevated temperatures have significant effect on
chlorate level in food. Therefore, it is mandatory to select the
Product most precise information for ‘product treatment (S.17)’ from the
Mandatory
treatment (S.17) relevant SSD catalogue (PRODTR*). If there is no term, which
describes the applied treatment precisely, use "processed
(T100A)" and the type of preparation should be described in
details ‘in Product comment (S.21)’.
If the product treatment is "processed (T100A)" it is mandatory
to report ‘in Product comment (S.21)’ how the product has been
Product treated, including washing with water, especially if the
Mandatory
comment (S.21) processing water was recycled. It should be also reported here
if chlorate is used in the processing water. The syntax on how
to report this information is defined in Table 2: .

26
Commission Recommendation (EU) 2015/682 of 29 April 2015 on the monitoring of the presence of perchlorate in food. OJ L
111, 30.4.2015 p.32-33

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Specific requirements

2.3. Reporting requirements applying to specific data collection of food

additives occurrence

Table 19: List of specific requirements for food additive occurrence data collection

Food Additives
Status of Data
SSD Data Element
Comments
Element (Mandatory/
Recommended)
In addition to EFSA product code (S.12), it is mandatory to
provide additional product classification (food category code)
based on Commission Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food
additives, as last amended. Annex V shall be used for reporting
Product
Mandatory food category codes. Codes allowed are either EFSA assigned
comment (S.21)
codes included in column ‘termCode’ in Annex V or the
legislation code indicated in the column ‘FoodCatM42’. The
syntax on how to report the food category code, as defined in
the food additives legislation, is defined in Table 2: .
Product It is strongly recommended to describe the food samples at the
Recommended
comment (S.21) most detailed hierarchical level available.

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Specific requirements

3. Conclusions
This report provides reporting requirements to data providers on the submission of contaminants
occurrence data and food additives occurrence data to EFSA in compliance with the EFSA SSD data
model. It updates a previous report published in June 2015 in response to recommendations relating
to data in EFSA’s Scientific Opinions since the previous update. Data elements are compatible with
EFSA’s data transmission business rules, an advantage to both data provider and EFSA by reducing
the risk of incomplete data transmission and resulting follow-up requests to the data provider. This
standardised process for the submission of data on contaminants and food additives in accordance
with these requirements will enable an efficient and effective data collection and submission process
for Member State data providers and EFSA.

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Specific requirements

References
AOCS (American Oil Chemists’ Society), 2013. Online. Validates Methods for MCPD Ester Analysis.
Available online: http://www.aocs.org/Methods/index.cfm
AOCS (American Oil Chemists’ Society), 2013. Online. Official Method Cd 29a-13: 2- and 3-MCPD Fatty
Acid Esters and Glycidol Fatty Acid Esters in Edible Oils and Fats by Acid Transesterification.
Available online: http://search.aocs.org/methods/search_methods_view_method.cfm?method=
CD29A_13.pdf
AOCS (American Oil Chemists’ Society), 2013. Online. Official Method Cd 29b-13: Determination of
Bound Monochloropropanediol- (MCPD-) and Bound 2,3-epoxy-1-propanol (glycidol-) by Gas
Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Available online: http://search.aocs.org/
methods/search_methods_view_method.cfm?method=CD29B_13.pdf
AOCS (American Oil Chemists’ Society), 2013. Online. Official Method Cd 29c-13: Fatty-acid-bound 3-
chloropropane-1,2,diol (3-MCPD) and 2,3-epoxi-propane-1-ol (glycidol), Determination in Oils and
Fats by GC/MS (Differential Measurement). Available online: http://search.aocs.org/methods/
search_methods_view_method.cfm?method=CD29C_13.pdf
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), 2010a. Standard Sample Description for Food and Feed. EFSA
Journal, 8(1):1457. 54 pp. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1457.
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), 2010b. Guidance on Data Exchange. EFSA Journal,
8(11):1895. 50pp. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1895.
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), 2013. Standard Sample Description ver. 2.0. EFSA Journal
2013, 11(10):3424. 114 pp. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2013.3424.
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), 2014. Guidance on Data Exchange version 2.0. EFSA Journal
2014, 12(12):3945. 173 pp. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2014.3945.

Abbreviations
AOCS American Oil Chemists’ Society
DCF Data Collection Framework
EC European Commission
EFSA European Food Safety Authority
LOD Limit of Detection
LOQ Limit of Qualification
MPL Maximum Permitted Level
MS Member States
SSD Standard Sample Description

Annex
Please refer to the accompanying MS® Excel file published under 'Supporting Information'
(Specific_requirements_2016_data_Annexes.xls)

www.efsa.europa.eu/publications 27 EFSA Supporting publication 2017:EN-1262