Normative and pre-normative aspects for the management of actual and perspective POPs in meat and meat products

With the acronym POPs we intend a group of persistent organic pollutants framed within the Stockholm Convention [Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Convention (POPs) (2004). Available from http://www.pops.int/]. POPs are a subgroup of the wide family of the aforesaid chemicals present in the environment, that are primarily of industrial origin. According to their physical–chemical properties, bioaccumulative behaviour in lipid tissues, and possible toxicological effects, they represent a relevant and growing concern for human beings. Foodstuffs of animal origin represent the main source of exposure. Monitoring data from national residue plans report only few non-compliances with respect to regulatory limits. However, the estimated intake, as in the case of polychloro-p-dibenzodioxins (PCDD), polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDF) and dioxin-like polychlorobyphenils (DL-PCBs) may result close to the correspondent safety guidance value (i.e., the Tolerable Daily Intake), thus indicating the need to reduce the overall exposure. In animal productions, the sources of contamination may be the commercial feedingstuffs as well as the contact with contaminated soil and bedding materials and the overall quality of the environment where animal productions are carried out. In this light, a number of safety challenges are envisaged to produce meat, such as: (a) characterization of the environment, (b) identification of the animal-based risk factors, (c) model-based approaches, able to predict bioaccumulation, and (d) teaching and training of stockmen.