Title 21 CFR reference

(a) Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) represent a class of toxic industrial chemicals manufactured and sold under a variety of trade names, including: Aroclor (United States); Phenoclor (France); Colphen (Germany); and Kanaclor (Japan). PCB's are highly stable, heat resistant, and nonflammable chemicals. Industrial uses of PCB's include, or did include in the past, their use as electrical transformer and capacitor fluids, heat transfer fluids, hydraulic fluids, and plasticizers, and in formulations of lubricants, coatings, and inks. Their unique physical and chemical properties and widespread, uncontrolled industrial applications have caused PCB's to be a persistent and ubiquitous contaminant in the environment, causing the contamination of certain foods. In addition, incidents have occurred in which PCB's have directly contaminated animal feeds as a result of industrial accidents (leakage or spillage of PCB fluids from plant equipment). These accidents in turn caused the contamination of food products intended for human consumption (meat, milk and eggs). Investigations by the Food and Drug Administration have revealed that a significant percentage of paper food-packaging material…

Act(a) means the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. (b) The definitions of terms contained in section 201 of the act are applicable to such terms when used in this part unless modified in this section. naturally occurring poisonous or deleterious substance(c) A is a poisonous or deleterious substance that is an inherent natural constituent of a food and is not the result of environmental, agricultural, industrial, or other contamination. added poisonous or deleterious substance(d) An is a poisonous or deleterious substance that is not a naturally occurring poisonous or deleterious substance. When a naturally occurring poisonous or deleterious substance is increased to abnormal levels through mishandling or other intervening acts, it is an added poisonous or deleterious substance to the extent of such increase. Food(e) includes pet food, animal feed, and substances migrating to food from food-contact articles.

polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's)(a) Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) are toxic, industrial chemicals. Because of their widespread, uncontrolled industrial applications, PCB's have become a persistent and ubiquitous contaminant in the environment. As a result, certain foods and animal feeds, principally those of animal and marine origin, contain PCB's as unavoidable, environmental contaminants. PCB's are transmitted to the food portion (meat, milk, and eggs) of food producing animals ingesting PCB contaminated animal feed. In addition, a significant percentage of paper food-packaging materials contain PCB's which may migrate to the packaged food. The source of PCB's in paper food-packaging materials is primarily of certain types of carbonless copy paper (containing 3 to 5 percent PCB's) in waste paper stocks used for manufacturing recycled paper. Therefore, temporary tolerances for residues of PCB's as unavoidable environmental or industrial contaminants are established for a sufficient period of time following the effective date of this paragraph to permit the elimination of such contaminants at the earliest practicable time. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term is…

(a) When appropriate under the criteria of § 509.6, a tolerance for an added poisonous or deleterious substance, which may be a food additive, may be established by regulation in subpart B of this part under the provisions of section 406 of the act. A tolerance may prohibit any detectable amount of the substance in food. (b) When appropriate under the criteria of § 509.6, and under section 402(a)(1) of the act, a regulatory limit for an added poisonous or deleterious substance, which may be a food additive, may be established by regulation in subpart C of this part under the provisions of sections 402(a)(1) and 701(a) of the act. A regulatory limit may prohibit any detectable amount of the substance in food. The regulatory limit established represents the level at which food is adulterated within the meaning of section 402(a)(1) of the act. (c)(1) When appropriate under the criteria of § 509.6, an action level for an added poisonous or deleterious substance, which may be a food additive, may be established to define a level of contamination at which a food may be regarded as adulterated. Federal Register04(2) Whenever an action level is established or changed, a notice shall be…

Federal Register04The Commissioner of Food and Drugs, either on his own initiative or on behalf of any interested person who has submitted a petition, may issue a proposal to establish, revoke, or amend a regulation under this part. Any such petition shall include an adequate factual basis to support the petition, shall be in the form set forth in § 10.30 of this chapter, and will be published in the for comment if it contains reasonable grounds for the proposed regulation. [42 FR 52821, Sept. 30, 1977, as amended at 54 FR 18280, Apr. 28, 1989]

(a) Use of an added poisonous or deleterious substance, other than a pesticide chemical, that is also a food additive will be controlled by a regulation issued under section 409 of the act when possible. When such a use cannot be approved under the criteria of section 409 of the act, or when the added poisonous or deleterious substance is not a food additive, a tolerance, regulatory limit, or action level may be established pursuant to the criteria in paragraphs (b), (c), or (d) of this section. Residues resulting from the use of an added poisonous or deleterious substance that is also a pesticide chemical will ordinarily be controlled by a tolerance established in a regulation issued under sections 406, 408, or 409 of the act by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). When such a regulation has not been issued, an action level for an added poisonous or deleterious substance that is also a pesticide chemical may be established by the Food and Drug Administration. The Food and Drug Administration will request EPA to recommend such an action level pursuant to the criteria established in paragraph (d) of this section. (b) A tolerance for an added poisonous or deleterious…

(a) Tolerances and action levels in this part are established at levels based on the unavoidability of the poisonous or deleterious substance concerned and do not establish a permissible level of contamination where it is avoidable. (b) Compliance with tolerances, regulatory limits, and action levels does not excuse failure to observe either the requirement in section 402(a)(4) of the act that food may not be prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions or the other requirements in this chapter that food manufacturers must observe current good manufacturing practices. Evidence obtained through factory inspection or otherwise indicating such a violation renders the food unlawful, even though the amounts of poisonous or deleterious substances are lower than the currently established tolerances, regulatory limits, or action levels. The manufacturer of food must at all times utilize quality control procedures which will reduce contamination to the lowest level currently feasible. [42 FR 52821, Sept. 30, 1977, as amended at 55 FR 20786, May 21, 1990]