Scoping paper on the potential risks of chemicals (other than caffeine) found in green and black tea in the maternal diet

Abbreviations

TOX/2026/05

Last updated: 27 January 2026

AFB1

Alfatoxin B1

AFG2

Aflatoxin G2

AFs

Aflatoxins

ALARA

As low as reasonably achievable

ALT

Alanine transferase

ARfD

Acute Reference Dose

BaP

Benzo(a)pyrene

BDL

Below detectable limit

BfR

German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment

CI

Confidence interval

CONTAM

Contaminants in the Food Chain

COT

Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment

Cr

Chromium

CTN

Citrinin

DHSC

Department of Health and Social Care

DON

Deoxynivalenol

DWI

Drinking Water Inspectorate

EC

European Commission

EFSA

European Food Safety Authority

EGCG

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate

ENB

Enniatin B

EU

European Union

FAO

Food and Agriculture Organisation

FB1

Fumonisin B1

FSA

Food Standards Agency

GB

Great Britain

GM

Geometric mean

HBGV

Health based guidance value

HMF5

5-Hydroxymethyl-2-Furfural

HMRC

UK HM Revenue and Customs

HRFNAO

High-Risk Food and Feed of Non-Animal Origin

IARC

International Agency for Research on Cancer

IQ

Intelligience quotient

JECFA

Joint FAO/WHO Expert on Committee on Food Additives

LOD

Limit of detection

LOQ

Limit of quantification

LSGMs

Least squares geometric means

MIREC

Canadian Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals

Mn

Manganese

MRLs

Maximum residue levels

MUF

Maternal urinary fluoride

NCCIH

US National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health

ND

Not detected

NDA

Nutrition, Novel Food and Food Allergens

NDNS

National Diet and Nutrition Survey

NHS

National Health Service

NTDs

Neural tube defects

OR

Odd ratio

OTA

Ochratoxin A

PAH2

benzo[a]pyrene and chrysene

PAH4

sum of benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, and chrysene

PAH8

PAH4 plus benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[ghi]perylene, dibenz[a,h]antracene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene

PAHs

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons

PAs

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids

pHBGV

Provisional health based guidance value

PRiF

Pesticide Residues in Food

SACN

Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition

TAs

Tropane alkaloids

TDI

Tolerable daily intake

TDS

Total Diet Study

TUIL

Tolerable upper intake levels

TWI

Tolerable weekly intake

UK

United Kingdom

UK

United Kingdom

UKHSA

UK Health Security Agency

US EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

US FDA

United States of America Food and Drug Administration

US NIH ODS

United States Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements

US NTP

US National Toxicology Program

WHO

World Health Organization

ZEN

Zearalenone