Brussels, 04/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has adopted a decision setting tight conditions for the import into the EU of Iranian pistachios from 1 February 2005 onwards. The decision was published in Official Journal L30 of 3 February 2005, following the discovery of unacceptably high levels of contamination of aflatoxin B1 in Iranian pistachios. Aflatoxin B1 is a powerful carcinogen that increases the risk of liver cancer, even at low doses. For this reason, the Commission notes that the import of Iranian pistachios is a serious danger to public health in the EU and protection measures at EU level have to be taken in consequence.
Under the decision, pistachios and certain other pistachio products from Iran may only be imported into the EU if the pistachios are grown, sorted, treated, packed and transported according to good food safety rules. For each batch of pistachios from Iran, the Iranian authorities must provide documentation concerning the farm conditions and the levels of Aflatoxin B1 detected during laboratory tests on the batch in question. Member States will then have to carry out test of Aflatoxin B1 in the Iranian pistachios. All the sampling, testing and storage costs, and all costs connected with withdrawing batches from the market where necessary, will be borne by importers or operators in the Iranian pistachio market.