Chlorinated paraffins in food
- Contaminants
Summary
The European Commission recommends that European Union (EU) Member State authorities and the food industry should monitor chlorinated paraffins in food from 2026 to 2029.
The monitoring will cover six food categories: fish, dairy products, oils and fats, meat and eggs, processed foods, and baby food. Testing will first measure short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins. More detailed testing will be required if their levels exceed the thresholds set out in Table 1.
These thresholds are not legal limits, so food containing levels above them will not automatically be considered unsafe or removed from the market. The aim is to collect data to help the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to assess the risks of chlorinated paraffins.
European Commission recommends that EU Member State authorities and the food industry should monitor the presence of chlorinated paraffins in fish; milk and dairy products; oils and fats; products of animal origin (including meat and eggs); processed foods; and baby food
Commission Recommendation (EU) 2026/2335 of 21 October 2026 on monitoring the presence of chlorinated paraffins in food
Update
The European Commission recommends that European Union (EU) Member State authorities and the food industry should monitor chlorinated paraffins in food from 2026 to 2029.
The monitoring will cover six food categories: fish, dairy products, oils and fats, meat and eggs, processed foods, and baby food. Testing will first measure short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins. More detailed testing will be required if their levels exceed the thresholds set out in Table 1.
These thresholds are not legal limits, so food containing levels above them will not automatically be considered unsafe or removed from the market. The aim is to collect data to help the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to assess the risks of chlorinated paraffins.
Impacted Products
Fish, milk and dairy products, vegetable and animal oils and fats, other products of animal origin (e.g. meat, eggs), processed foods (whole meals), baby food
What is changing?
The European Commission has published a Recommendation to EU Member States and the food industry to monitor the presence of chlorinated paraffins in food during 2026–2029.
The monitoring covers six food categories: fish; milk and dairy products; vegetable and animal oils and fats; other products of animal origin (including meat and eggs); processed foods (whole meals); and baby food.
Monitoring will initially focus on the sum of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (C10–C17). Where the chlorinated paraffin content exceeds the thresholds set out in Table 1, detailed testing should be carried out to measure all chlorinated paraffins, including long-chain compounds (C18–C30).
These thresholds are not legal maximum levels. Food found to exceed these thresholds will not be considered non-compliant and will not be removed from the EU market. The aim is to gather data that will support EFSA’s risk assessment of chlorinated paraffins.
Why?
Chlorinated paraffins are chemical contaminants for which EFSA (2020) has identified significant data gaps, preventing a comprehensive assessment of dietary exposure and potential health risks.
Timeline
EU Member States and the food industry should regularly submit monitoring data to EFSA (see the EFSA webpage Data collection: chemical monitoring).
What are the major implications for exporting countries?
This Recommendation does not introduce legal limits for chlorinated paraffins in food or additional import requirements. The thresholds are intended to gather data, not to determine whether products comply with EU food safety legislation.
Exporters of the food products concerned should be aware of this monitoring initiative as it could lead to EU regulatory action in the future.
Recommended Actions
Future EU regulatory action will be based on the information collected by EFSA. It is therefore in the interests of the food supply chain to ensure that EFSA has comprehensive data.
Resources
EFSA (2020) Risk assessment of chlorinated paraffins in feed and food. EFSA Journal, 18(3): 5991.
Sources
Commission Recommendation (EU) 2026/2335 on monitoring the presence of chlorinated paraffins in food
Tables & Figures
Thresholds for chlorinated paraffin content*
| Food category | Threshold value (ng/g) |
|---|---|
| Fish | 100 (wet weight) |
| Milk and dairy products | 20 (wet weight) |
| Vegetable and animal oils and fats | 1000 (fat) |
| Other products of animal origin | 300 (fat) |
| Processed foods (whole meals) | 50 (wet weight) |
| Baby food | 20 (wet weight) |
* Threshold values of sum of chlorinated paraffins with chain length C10–C17.
Source: Commission Recommendation 2026/2335
Disclaimer: Under no circumstances shall COLEAD be liable for any loss, damage, liability or expense incurred or suffered that is claimed to have resulted from the use of information available on this website or any link to external sites. The use of the website is at the user’s sole risk and responsibility. This information platform was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents do not, however, reflect the views of the European Union.
European Commission recommends that EU Member State authorities and the food industry should monitor the presence of chlorinated paraffins in fish; milk and dairy products; oils and fats; products of animal origin (including meat and eggs); processed foods; and baby food
Commission Recommendation (EU) 2026/2335 on monitoring the presence of chlorinated paraffins in food
What is changing and why?
The European Commission recommends that European Union (EU) Member State authorities and the food industry should monitor chlorinated paraffins in food from 2026 to 2029.
The monitoring will cover six food categories: fish, dairy products, oils and fats, meat and eggs, processed foods, and baby food. Testing will first measure short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins. More detailed testing will be required if their levels exceed the thresholds set out in Table 1.
These thresholds are not legal limits, so food containing levels above them will not automatically be considered unsafe or removed from the market. The aim is to collect data to help the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to assess the risks of chlorinated paraffins.
Actions
Future regulatory action will be based on the information collected by EFSA. It is therefore in the interests of the food supply chain to ensure that EFSA has comprehensive data.
Timeline
EU Member States and the food industry should regularly submit monitoring data to EFSA (see the EFSA webpage Data collection: chemical monitoring).
Tables & Figures
Thresholds for chlorinated paraffin content*
| Food category | Threshold value (ng/g) |
|---|---|
| Fish | 100 (wet weight) |
| Milk and dairy products | 20 (wet weight) |
| Vegetable and animal oils and fats | 1000 (fat) |
| Other products of animal origin | 300 (fat) |
| Processed foods (whole meals) | 50 (wet weight) |
| Baby food | 20 (wet weight) |
* Threshold values of sum of chlorinated paraffins with chain length C10–C17.
Source: Commission Recommendation 2026/2335
Disclaimer: Under no circumstances shall COLEAD be liable for any loss, damage, liability or expense incurred or suffered that is claimed to have resulted from the use of information available on this website or any link to external sites. The use of the website is at the user’s sole risk and responsibility. This information platform was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents do not, however, reflect the views of the European Union.