13.5.2014 Official Journal of the European Union L 13875 COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 488/2014 of 12 May 2014 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of cadmium in foodstuffs (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 315/93 of 8 February 1993 laying down Community procedures for contaminants in food (!), and in particular Article 2(3) thereof, Whereas: (1)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 () establishes maximum levels for cadmium in a range of foodstuffs. (2)  The Scientific Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM Panel) of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) adopted an opinion on cadmium in food on 30 January 2009 (°). In that opinion, EFSA established a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 2,5 ug/kg body weight for cadmium. In its ‘Statement on tolerable weekly intake for cadmium’ (*), EFSA took into account the recent risk assessment carried out by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) (°) and confirmed the TWI of 2,5 pg/kg body weight. (3)  In the scientific opinion on cadmium in food, the CONTAM Panel concluded that the mean dietary exposures to cadmium in European countries are close to or slightly exceeding the TWI of 2,5 pg/kg body weight. Certain subgroups of the population may exceed the TWI by about 2 fold. The CONTAM Panel further concluded that, although adverse effects on kidney function are unlikely to occur for an individual exposed at this level, exposure to cadmium at the population level should be reduced. (4)  According to the scientific opinion on cadmium in food of the CONTAM Panel, the food groups that contribute to the major part of the dietary cadmium exposure, primarily because of the high consumption, are cereals and cereals products, vegetables, nuts and pulses, starchy roots or potatoes and meat and meat products. Highest cadmium concentrations were detected in the food commodities seaweed, fish and seafood, chocolate and foods for special dietary uses as well as in fungi, oilseeds and edible offal. (5)  In a refined exposure assessment carried out by EFSA in its scientific report on ‘Cadmium dietary exposure in the European population’ (°) using the new Comprehensive Food Consumption database which contains updated information on food consumption figures for the different Member States and for different age groups of the population, more detailed information on the particular food commodities that contribute to exposure are given by age group. For adults, starchy roots and tubers, grains and grain based products and vegetables and vegetable products are major contributors to exposure. For children and adolescents, starchy roots and tubers, grain and grain based products and sugar and confectionary are main contributors to exposure, while for infants and toddlers it is starchy roots and tubers, grains and grain based products, vegetables and vegetable based products, milk and dairy products and foods for infants and small children that contribute most. The refined exposure assessment shows that overall exposure is the result of not only a few main contributors but the addition of contributions of a number of different food groups. () OJL37,13.2.1993,p. 1. (*) 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). (*) Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain on a request from the European Commission on cadmium in food. The EFSA Journal (2009) 980, 1-139. (*) EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM); Scientific Opinion on tolerable weekly intake for cadmium. EFSA Journal 2011; 9(2):1975.[19 pp.] doi:10.2903j.efsa.2011.1975. Available online: www.efsa.europa.eu/efsajournal () WHO Food Additives Series 64, 73 meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), World Health Organ- isation, Geneva, 2011. (°) European Food Safety Authority; Cadmium dietary exposure in the European population. EFSA Journal 2012; 10(1):2551. [37 pp.] doi:10.2903j.efsa.2012.2551. Available online: www.efsa.europa.eu/efsajournal