Government Decision No. HG346/2025 validating the Regulation regarding contaminants in food products.

This Government Decision applies to the following foodstuffs: (a) fried potatoes, other sliced products (fried by dipping in oil), and thinly sliced potatoes (chips) from fresh potatoes; (b) potato chips, snacks, crackers, and other potato products made from potato dough; (c) bread; (d) breakfast cereals (except porridge); (e) small bakery products: cakes, cookies, rusks, cereal bars, buns, cones, waffles, donuts, and gingerbread, as well as crackers, crispbreads, and bread substitutes. In this category, a cracker is a dry biscuit (a bakery product made from cereal flour); (f) coffee: roasted coffee; instant (freeze-dried) coffee; (g) coffee substitutes; and (h) foodstuffs intended for infants and processed cereal food products intended for young children. Annex 1 establishes a regulation on mitigation measures and reference levels for reducing acrylamide in specified food categories, including fried potato products, potato-based snacks, bread, breakfast cereals, fine bakery wares, coffee and coffee substitutes, and foods for infants and young children. It imposes obligations on food business operators (FBOs) to apply mitigation measures listed in technical annexes, to keep acrylamide levels as low as reasonably achievable and below defined reference levels, and to review and adjust processes where reference levels are exceeded. It also requires FBOs to design and implement their own sampling and analysis programs for acrylamide, maintain records of mitigation measures and analytical results, and follow prescribed sampling and analytical requirements. Certain retail and local supply operators are subject to simplified mitigation and record-keeping duties. Annexes 2 and 3 set out harmonized definitions, sampling procedures, and analytical performance criteria for the control of mycotoxins and plant toxins in foodstuffs, including detailed concepts such as screening target concentration, repeatability and reproducibility parameters, limits of quantification, and validation of screening and confirmatory methods. Annex 4 regulates how the competent authority conducts official controls on contaminants, including the use of the definition of contaminant. Annex 5 specifies the analytical methods and performance requirements laboratories must use for official control of mycotoxin content, including tables of performance criteria for specific mycotoxins and the use of the Horwitz equation and fitness-for-purpose approaches. The National Agency for Food Safety is the competent authority for overseeing implementation of the Decision.