Brussels, 31/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - From Saturday 1 June, the new list of food additives authorised in the European Union comes into application. Taking effect also is the new regulation on additives in foodstuffs, adopted in November 2011 by the European Commission to complement EU legislation already in place to ensure food safety in the EU (see EUROPE 10494).
The regulation in question contains the updated list of authorised additives per category of food or food ingredient to which they are likely to be added. The time between the adoption of the regulation and its entry into force was used to best advantage by the agri-food industry in order to adjust to the new situation.
The list, scientifically drawn up by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), contains: - additives that do not present a risk for consumer health at the level of use proposed (daily dose); - additives whose use does not mislead the consumer and which have benefits for the consumer (such as the preservation of the nutritional quality of food or the possibility of meeting the requirements of a specific diet); - and those additives for which no technology can reasonably allow replacement by an alternative solution.
The list of additives contained in the regulation shows that, in some foods, the use of additives is limited, when not strictly prohibited, while, in processed food such as sweets, snacks, sauces and flavoured drinks, vast quantities of additives are used.
The regulation for application will facilitate the implementation of EC Regulation No 1333/2008 on food additives adopted in December 2008 in order to harmonise the use of additives in foodstuffs within the EU. The list of authorised additives may be consulted online at: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/sanco_foods/?sector=FAD . (AN/transl.jl)