The EU is discussing in a draft a maximum of 1,000 mg of "iodine" (iodide) per kg of dry matter in seaweed as food. For the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum, known on the market as "kelp", the literature compiled by the BfR (the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) gives a range of 150 to 1,800 mg/kg of dry matter.
One seaweed raises four questions depending on the sector: in agriculture, which treatments allow its use as a "plant" under Regulation (EU) 2019/1009; in feed, which entry of the catalogue of Regulation (EU) 68/2013 it corresponds to; in cosmetics, how it appears in CosIng, the European Commission's cosmetic ingredients database; and in food, the amount of iodine it contains and its physiological role.
The draft is still under discussion, according to the BfR opinion of 5 August 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
What maximum iodine level is the EU discussing for seaweed as food?
The EU is discussing in a draft a maximum of 1,000 mg of "iodine" (iodide) per kg of dry matter in seaweed as food. For the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum, known on the market as "kelp", the literature compiled by the BfR (the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) gives a range of 150 to 1,800 mg/kg of dry matter. The draft is still under discussion, according to the BfR opinion of 5 August 2026.
What questions does kelp seaweed raise by sector: agriculture, feed, cosmetics and food?
One seaweed raises four questions depending on the sector: in agriculture, which treatments allow its use as a "plant" under Regulation (EU) 2019/1009; in feed, which entry of the catalogue of Regulation (EU) 68/2013 it corresponds to; in cosmetics, how it appears in CosIng, the European Commission's cosmetic ingredients database; and in food, the amount of iodine it contains and its physiological role.
Sources
- BfR, dictamen n.º 044/2026: «Binding maximum iodine levels in edible seaweeds may help reduce health-relevant intake levels» (5/8/2026)
- Recomendación (UE) 2018/464 de la Comisión, relativa al control de metales y yodo en las algas marinas
- Reglamento (UE) 2019/1009: productos fertilizantes UE
- Reglamento (UE) 2022/1104 de la Comisión, que modifica el Reglamento (UE) n.º 68/2013 (Catálogo de materias primas para piensos)
- CosIng: base de datos de ingredientes cosméticos de la Comisión Europea (Ascophyllum nodosum)
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