Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and non-dioxin-like PCBs in dairy products on the German market and the temporal tendency in Schleswig-Holstein

  • RESEARCH ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Levels of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans, dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and non-dioxin-like PCBs were measured in 140 dairy products collected in 2006 from different regions of Germany. The samples (a total of 66 cheese, 23 butter and 51 curd products) were taken from super markets and retail stores on the basis of production volumes in different states of the Federal Republic of Germany. The dioxin and total WHO-TEQ concentrations of all 140 samples were clearly below the EU limits of 3 pg WHO-polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD)/F-TEQ/g fat and 6 pg WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ/g fat, as laid down in the EU regulation No 199/2006. Dioxin concentrations ranged from low 0.07 to 0.53 pg WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ/g fat with a mean value of 0.19 pg WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ/g fat. The WHO-TEQ concentrations (PCDD/F + dl-PCBs TEQ) ranged from 0.21 and 2.1 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat with an average value of 0.76 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat. Significant differences of the WHO-TEQ contamination levels at regional level and between the different product groups could not be identified. The temporal tendency of dioxin concentrations in butter and cheese from Schleswig-Holstein was studied over the past 13 years that showed a decrease by more than 50 % from 0.43 to 0.19 pg WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ/g fat.

Zusammenfassung

140 Milcherzeugnisse aus verschiedenen Regionen Deutschlands wurden 2006 auf Dioxine, dioxinähnliche PCB und nicht dioxinähnliche PCB untersucht. Insgesamt wurden 66 Käse-, 23 Butter- und 51 Quark- bzw. Joghurterzeugnisse analysiert. Die Probenahme erfolgte in Supermärkten und Einzelhandelsgeschäften auf der Basis der Produktionsmengen in den einzelnen Bundesländern der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Die Dioxinkonzentrationen und die Summe der WHO-TEQ blieben weit unter den EU-Grenzwerten von 3 pg WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ/g Fett und 6 pg WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ/g Fett. Die Dioxingehalte lagen bei niedrigen 0,07–0,53 pg WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ/g Fett mit einem arithmetischen Mittelwert von 0,19 pg WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ/kg Fett. Die WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ Gehalte lagen zwischen 0,21 und 2,1 pg WHO-TEQ/g Fett, mit einem mittleren Gehalt von 0,76 pg WHO-TEQ/g Fett. Regionale Abhängigkeiten und Unterschiede zwischen den einzelnen Produktgruppen konnten nicht festgestellt werden. Langjährige Messungen der Dioxingehalte in Butter und Käse aus Schleswig-Holstein zeigen über den Zeitraum von 13 Jahren eine deutliche Abnahme der Gehalte von 0,43 auf 0,19 pg WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ/g Fett.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anon (2001) Community strategy for dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls. Official Journal of the European Communities C 322/2, 17.11.2001

  • Beck H, Droß A, Mathar W (1992) PCDDs, PCDFs and related contaminants in the German food supply. Chemosphere 25:1539–1550

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • BImSchV (1990) Siebzehnte Verordnung zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes (Verordnung über Verbrennungsanlagen für Abfälle und ähnliche brennbare Stoffe—17. BImSchV) vom 23. November 1990. BGBl. I S. 2545

  • Commission of the European Communities (2006) Commission recommendation of 6 February 2006 on the reduction of the presence of dioxins, furans and PCBs in feedingstuffs and foodstuffs. Official Journal of the European Union L 42/26, 14.02.2006

  • Durand B, Dufour B, Fraisse D, Defour ST, Duhem K, Le-Barillec K (2008) Levels of PCDDs, PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs in raw cow’s milk collected in France in 2006. Chemosphere 70:689–693

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Esposito M, Cavallo S, Serpe FP, D’Ambrosio R, Gallo P, Colarusso G, Pellicano R, Baldi L, Guarino A, Serpe L (2009) Levels and congener profiles of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in cow’s milk collected in Campania, Italy. Chemosphere 77:1212–1216

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • European Food Safety Authority (2010) Results of the monitoring of non dioxin-like PCBs in food and feed. EFSA J 8(7):1701

    Google Scholar 

  • Fürst P (2007) PCDD/PCDF and PCB in dairy products from North Rhine-Westphalia 2006 as compared to levels since 1990. Organohalogen Compd 69:110–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Fürst P, Beck H, Theelen RMC (1992) Assessment of human intake of PCDDs and PCDFs from different environmental sources. Toxic Subst J 12:133–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamm S, Grümping R, Schwietering J (2005) Levels of polychlorinated dibenzo(p)dioxins, dibenzofurans and dioxin-like PCBs in milk, milk products and eggs from West European countries. Organohalogen Compd 67:1406–1408

    Google Scholar 

  • Karl H, Ruoff U (2007) Dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and chloroorganic contaminants in herring, Clupea harengus, from different fishing grounds of the Baltic Sea. Chemosphere 67:S90–S95

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karl H, Ruoff U (2008) Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in fish and fishery products on the German market. J Verbr Lebensm 3:19–27

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karl H, Blüthgen A, Ruoff U (2002) Levels of dioxins in fish and fishery products on the German market. Chemosphere 49:765–773

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kontaminanten-Verordnung (2010) Verordnung zur Begrenzung von Kontaminanten in Lebensmitteln (Kontaminanten-Verordnung-KmV) vom 19. März 2010. BGBl. I S 286, 287

  • Malisch R, Dilara P (2007) PCDD/Fs and PCBs in butter samples from new European Union member states and a candidate country: analytical quality control, results and certain PCB-specific aspects. Chemosphere 67:S79–S89

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MIV (2011) Milchindustrie-Verband e.V. Zahlen-Daten-Fakten 2010/2011. http://www.milchindustrie.de. Assessed 6 Oct 2011

  • Ruoff U, Ubben E-H, Blüthgen A (1999) Polychlorierte Dibenzo-p-dioxine und -furane (PCDD/F) in Milchfett in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Teilbericht I eines Forschungsprojektes des Bundesministeriums für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten und der produktbezogenen Forschungsanstalten im Geschäftsbereich zur flächendeckenden Bestimmung der Dioxin-/Furankontamination in Lebensmitteln in Deutschland. Kiel, Juni 1999

  • Schulz AJ, Wiesmüller T, Appuhn H, Stehr D, Severin K, Landmann D, Kamphues J (2005) Dioxin concentration in milk and tissues of cows and sheep related to feed and soil contamination. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr 89:72–78

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schwind K-H, Dänicke S, Jira W (2010) Survey of dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and marker PCBs in German feeds of plant origin. J Verbr Lebensm 5:413–420

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tard A, Gallotti S, Leblanc J-C, Volatier J-L (2007) Dioxins, furans and dioxin-like PCBs: occurrence in food and dietary intake in France. Food Addit Contam 24(9):1007–1018

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van den Berg M et al (1998) Toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) for PCBs, PCDDs, PCDFs for humans and wildlife. Environ Health Perspect 106:775–792

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Van den Berg M et al (2006) The 2005 World Health Organization reevaluation of human and mammalian toxic equivalency factors for dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. Toxicol Sci 93(2):223–241

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Windal I, Vandevijvere S, Maleki M, Goscinny S, Vinkx C, Focant JF, Eppe G, Hanot V, Van Loco J (2010) Dietary intake of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs of the Belgian population. Chemosphere 79:334–340

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ZMP (2004) ZMP-Marktbilanz Milch 2004. Zentrale Markt- und Preisberichtstelle für Erzeugnisse der Land-, Forst- und Ernährungswirtschaft, Bonn

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to Ms Bagge and Mr Fries for the sophisticated analysis of the samples.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Safety and Quality of Milk and Fish Products, Max Rubner-Institute, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Hermann-Weigmann-Straße 1, 24103, Kiel, Germany

    Ulrike Ruoff & Hans-Georg Walte

  2. Department of Safety and Quality of Milk and Fish Products, Max Rubner-Institute, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Palmaille 9, 22767, Hamburg, Germany

    Horst Karl

Authors
  1. Ulrike Ruoff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Horst Karl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hans-Georg Walte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Horst Karl.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ruoff, U., Karl, H. & Walte, HG. Dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and non-dioxin-like PCBs in dairy products on the German market and the temporal tendency in Schleswig-Holstein. J. Verbr. Lebensm. 7, 11–17 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00003-011-0751-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00003-011-0751-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation