Foodlaw-Reading Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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Food Law News - EU - 2016

Council Minutes, 15 January 2016

HYGIENE – Council discussions: Food hygiene - Requirements for gelatine and collagen

The following is an extract from the minutes of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting:

The Council decided not to oppose adoption by the Commission of a regulation amending annex III of regulation 853/20041 as regards requirements for gelatine, collagen and highly refined products of animal origin intended for human consumption (14050/15).

Regulation 853/2004 lays down specific rules on the hygiene of food of animal origin for food business operators. It provides in particular that food business operators are to ensure that raw materials for the production of gelatine and collagen for human consumption come from sources that meet the public and animal health requirements laid down in EU legislation.

The delegated act introduces several adjustments to those requirements such as:

• allowing the specific treatments to exclude public and animal health risks linked to imported raw materials prior to placing on the market in the EU;
• adapting the requirements for the production process for collagen to allow practical changes in cases where a change does not result in a different level of public health protection;
• adapting the analytical methods for verifying residue limits in gelatine and collagen;
• harmonising conditions for EU member states and foreign countries and laying down specific requirements for the production of certain highly refined products of animal origin intended for human consumption.

The regulation is subject to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny. The Commission may adopt it, unless the European Parliament objects.