Each year, hunters from 12 of the 27 European Union (EU) countries and the UK shoot over 6 million large game mammals, 12 million rabbits and hares and over 80 million birds. They support an international game meat market worth over 1.1 thousand million Euros. Animals shot with lead ammunition frequently contain lead fragments in the carcass which contaminate meals made from game meat with concentrations of lead substantially above the maximum allowable level (ML) set by European Commission Regulation EC1881/2006 for meat from domesticated animals. This poses a health risk to frequent consumers of wild-shot game meat, with children and pregnant women being particularly vulnerable. Total replacement of lead rifle and shotgun ammunition with available non-toxic alternatives is needed for all hunting in EU nations to prevent exposure of humans and wildlife to ammunition-derived lead and to allow the depletion of the long-term environmental legacy of lead from spent ammunition. We propose that EC1881/2006 is amended to incorporate an ML for game meats as a supplementary measure to the replacement of lead ammunition. This would harmonise food safety standards for lead in meats traded across and imported into the EU.

每年，来自 27 个欧盟 (EU) 国家中的 12 个国家和英国的猎人猎杀了超过 600 万只大型野生哺乳动物、1200 万只兔子和野兔以及超过 8000 万只鸟类。他们支持价值超过 110 万欧元的国际野味肉市场。用铅弹药射击的动物尸体中经常含有铅碎片，这些铅碎片会污染由野味肉制成的膳食，其铅浓度大大高于欧盟委员会条例 EC1881/2006 对驯养动物肉设定的最大允许水平 (ML)。这对经常食用野味野味肉的消费者构成健康风险，儿童和孕妇尤其容易受到伤害。欧盟国家的所有狩猎都需要用可用的无毒替代品完全替换铅步枪和霰弹枪弹药，以防止人类和野生动物接触弹药衍生的铅，并消除铅在环境中的长期遗产。弹药。我们建议对 EC1881/2006 进行修订，以纳入针对野味的 ML，作为更换铅弹药的补充措施。这将统一在欧盟交易和进口到欧盟的肉类中铅的食品安全标准。