On 11 April 2007, the EP Environment Committee adopted a series of amendments to two of the proposals, which were put forward by the Commission to simplify and modernise legislation on food additives. The new legislation could have considerable impacts on the food industry.
Food additives are currently regulated by about a dozen EU laws, some of which date back some time. In June 2006, the European Commission has adopted a package of four legislative proposals which would introduce harmonised EU legislation on food enzymes for the first time and upgrade current rules for flavourings and additives.
Although it agrees on the need to simplify and modernise the legislation, the European Parliament (EP) Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety has significantly amended the Commission’s proposals. In two votes on 11 April at the Environment Committee, MEPs introduced a range of extra guarantees to make decisions more transparent and improve consumer protection.
- The first text of the package put forward by the Commission sets out a common authorisation procedure for additives, enzymes and flavourings, based on scientific opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
The first report adopted by the EP Committee considered, however, that the procedure should be more transparent. Any application for authorisation to place a product on the market should be notified to the EP, to interested parties and also to EFSA, whose opinions should be made public. All authorisations should also be regularly reviewed.
- The Committee’s second report, which deals with the specific regulation on additives, was adopted almost unanimously.
Under the proposed regulation, new additives could only be authorised under the following conditions:
- they must not endanger the health of consumers or vulnerable groups
- they must be technologically necessary in terms of benefits to the consumer
- they must not mislead the consumer.
In their amendments, MEPs added that they must not have a harmful effect on the environment. As regards the specific conditions set out for sweeteners and colourings by the proposed regulation, MEPs added conditions relating to flavour enhancers, which should only be used if the desired effect cannot be achieved by using spices.
The regulation also provides for a gradual re-evaluation of all additives already on the market (about 300). An evaluation programme will be drawn up one year after the regulation enters into force. Meanwhile, additives which are currently authorised may stay on the market. But after the updating process is completed, any additive not on the authorised list will be banned.
The two other proposals of the package put forward by the Commission concerning enzymes and flavourings, are to be voted on by the Environment Committee on 8 May 2007.
A plenary vote on all proposals is to take place in June or July. If it is adopted, the new legislation could introduce considerable changes to be taken into account by the SMEs in the food sector.
For further information, please check the following links:
- Press release of the European Parliament (11-04-2007):
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/067-5102-100-04-15-911-20070410IPR05067-10-04-2007-2007-false/default_en.htm
- Commission package of proposals for new legislation on food additives, flavourings and enzymes:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/chemicalsafety/additives/prop_leg_en.htm
