FSA Consultation Document, 28 June 2010
A copy of the FSA Consultation document, including full details of the Commission proposals (with the Food Categorisation System tables) is available on this site. See: FSA Additive Consultation.
To alert food businesses to proposed changes to the structure of EU food additives legislation and to seek their advice on any omissions or errors in the new lists. Responses are requested by: 27 August 2010
Audience
Who will this consultation be of most interest to?
Food and drink businesses that use food additives, manufacturers of food additives, local authority enforcement bodies.
What is the subject of this consultation?
Proposed changes by the European Union to the structure of EU food additives legislation to make it easier to identify which additives are permitted.
What is the purpose of this consultation?
To alert food businesses to proposed changes to the structure of EU food additives legislation and to seek their advice on any omissions or errors in the new lists.
Consultation details
Changes will shortly be made to the structure of EU food additives legislation to make it easier to identify which additives are permitted in foods.
Article 30 of Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives requires additives permitted in foods and their conditions of use to be transferred from the Annexes in Directives 95/2/EC (miscellaneous additives), 94/35/EC (sweeteners) and 94/36/EC (colours) to Annex II of Regulation 1333/2008. In addition, Article 4.3 of the Regulation specifies that the additives shall be listed on the basis of the categories of food to which they may be added. To this end, the European Commission has developed a hierarchal Food Categorisation System (FCS), based on the Codex General Standard on Food Additives (GSFA), but adapted to European stakeholders’ requirements.
Proposal:
The European Commission has created draft tables that cover 16 different food categories, divided into a number of sub-categories, that are intended to comprise the FCS (see link below). Additives permitted to be used are listed against each sub-category, together with conditions of use. The tables, drawn up by the European Commission, take into account comments from EU Member States and those received during bilateral stakeholder consultations. An introduction document to the FCS has also been drafted.
It is not intended that new or additional uses of additives should be permitted by this exercise.
Key proposal(s):
Consultation Process:
The European Commission has already consulted informally with industry trade associations and with EU Member States on the proposed transfer exercise and the Food Standards Agency has written to the relevant food sectors seeking comments.
To provide a further check on accuracy, comments are now sought from all UK stakeholders on any errors or omissions in the tables as regards permitted additives. In addition, comments are welcomed on the descriptors of the food categories that can be found in the second worksheet in each workbook. The Commission plans that, at the current time, these descriptors will be indicative/advisory rather than legally binding. Comments would also be appreciated on the draft introductory document to the FCS.
Timing:
A timetable for the completion of the FCS work is in Annexe C of the consultation documents. As you will see, discussions are planned at Working Group meetings in Brussels in June and possibly in July and September. Comments would be appreciated as soon as possible so that they can be fed into these ongoing discussions.
Responses:
Responses are required by Friday 27 August. Please state, in your response, whether you are responding as a private individual or on behalf of an organisation/company (including details of any stakeholders your organisation represents).
For more details of EU Food Additive legislation, see: http://www.foodlaw.rdg.ac.uk/additive.htm