Risk assessment related to the presence of benzalkonium chloride (BAC), didecyldimethyl ammonium chloride (DDAC) and chlorates in fish and fish products

Abstract

Abstract In compliance with Article 31 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, EFSA received a mandate from the European Commission to prepare a statement on the risk assessment related to the presence of benzalkonium chloride (mixture of alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chlorides with alkyl chain lengths of C8, C10, C12, C14, C16 and C18) (BAC), didecyldimethylammonium chloride (mixture of alkyl‐quaternary ammonium salts with alkyl chain lengths of C8, C10 and C12) (DDAC) and chlorates in fish and fish products. Within EFSA's annual chemical data collection, EFSA collected monitoring data for the residues of BAC, DDAC and chlorates from EU Member States, Iceland and Norway performed a statistical evaluation, providing estimated residue values for each substance in/on fish and fish products, at the percentile appropriate for the number of the available samples. Based on the information collected, EFSA performed an acute and chronic exposure assessment for EU consumers for BAC, DDAC and chlorates at the lower‐bound, medium‐bound and upper‐bound scenarios resulting from the consumption of fish and fish products. EFSA did not identify potential consumer health risks associated to residues of the substances found in fish and fish products.

Keywords

• didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC)
• benzalkonium chloride (BAC)
• temporary MRLs
• Regulation (EC) No 396/2005
• consumer risk assessment
• quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC)