,European Union notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of an emergency sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measure under notification G/SPS/N/EU/922 concerning the import of arachidonic acid (ARA) oil originating from China. The measure amends Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, which establishes increased official controls and special import conditions for certain food and feed products entering the EU.
The amendment introduces arachidonic acid oil from China into Annex II of the regulation, requiring stricter border controls and additional import conditions due to potential contamination risks. Under the updated measure, consignments of the oil will be subject to enhanced official controls with a sampling frequency of 50% at EU border control points.
The emergency action follows the detection of cereulide toxin in batches of infant formula containing ARA oil supplied by a Chinese producer, which triggered multi-country recalls of several infant formula products. Cereulide toxin, produced by Bacillus cereus, can cause serious food poisoning and poses significant risks to human health, particularly infants.
By introducing these emergency controls, the EU aims to ensure that imported ARA oil complies with EU food safety standards and to prevent contaminated ingredients from entering the food supply chain. The measure specifically targets products used in infant formula and specialized nutrition products, where arachidonic acid oil is commonly used as a nutritional ingredient.
The notification was circulated through the WTO’s SPS transparency mechanism to inform trading partners about the new emergency measure and its implications for exporters supplying arachidonic acid oil to the EU market.
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