Finland raises fertilizer cadmium limits for two years

Finland will raise the permitted cadmium levels in mineral fertilizers for two years to safeguard supply, Yle reports. Research professor Johanna Suomi of the Finnish Food Authority says the effects of the temporary increase cannot be assessed with certainty because short-term exposure has not been studied.

Finland has an EU exemption allowing stricter cadmium limits for fertilizers than those used elsewhere in Europe. In Finland’s acidic soil, cadmium is more easily absorbed by plants.

Minna Huttunen, a senior agricultural official at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, says the temporary measure will not harm the environment or human health because cadmium accumulates in the body over decades, not within the next two years. She said the limits would return to their previous level afterwards.

Suomi said existing research concerns long-term exposure, leaving too little information to determine the significance of a two-year increase.

Cadmium moves from fertilizer into soil, plants and animals, and eventually into the human body. It can remain there for decades. The main health risks are osteoporosis and kidney damage, and the harmful doses are very small.

More than one in five Finnish women past childbearing age already receives enough cadmium through their diet to double their risk of osteoporosis, Suomi said. Most Finnish children also currently consume more cadmium through food than the levels considered safe.

Most exposure among people in Finland comes from plant-based foods, particularly grain products. Although game offal can contain more cadmium than wheat, wheat bread is eaten far more often than, for example, moose kidneys, Suomi said.

Higher cadmium levels in crops could also affect whether they are suitable for human consumption. If a grain shipment exceeds the permitted limits under EU rules on contaminants, it cannot be sold as food.

Wheat is most likely to exceed the limit because it accumulates more cadmium than oats and rye. Levels can also vary between varieties of the same grain.

Suomi said recycled fertilizers would be a better option regarding cadmium than fertilizers with higher cadmium concentrations. They also provide phosphorus and nitrogen needed by plants, while containing less cadmium.

Huttunen said the increase would not damage Finland’s reputation as a producer of clean food, which she said is maintained by the country’s entire food system. She also said people in risk groups do not need to change their eating habits because of the measure.