EFSA is seeking feedback on its draft assessment of the health risks of dioxins and related polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in food.

Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs are toxic chemicals that persist in the environment for years and accumulate at low levels in the food chain, usually in the fatty tissues of animals. Their presence in food and feed has declined since the 1970s, thanks to the efforts of public authorities and industry.

In their draft scientific opinion, EFSA experts confirmed the conclusion of the Authority’s previous assessments that dietary exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs is a health concern.

“We have updated the tolerable weekly intake (TWI), setting it at 0.6 picograms per kilogram of body weight. Updated dietary exposure estimates from European countries indicate that the new TWI is exceeded in all age groups,” said Helle Knutsen, chair of the EFSA’s Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain.

The European Commission requested EFSA to update its 2018 scientific opinion on the topic following the revision of the toxicity equivalency factors (TEFs) by the World Health Organisation in 2022. These are internationally agreed-upon values used to express the toxicity of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs relative to the most toxic form of dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) and were used to perform the current risk assessment.

Stakeholders, researchers and members of the public are invited to provide feedback on the draft opinion, which will be available for consultation until 26 January 2026. Submit your comments here.

Register to the webinar

A webinar will take place on 11 December 2025 where EFSA experts will explain the draft conclusions and provide insights on the principles and methods applied for the draft risk assessment. You can register here.