Food Law News - EU - 1996

17 December 1996: NATURAL MINERAL WATERS - Amending Directive Published


MAFF Letter 17 December 1996

Natural Mineral Waters

The Directive amending Council Directive 80/777 on Natural Mineral Waters (adopted 23 July 1996) has been published in the Official Journal as Directive 96/70. It can be found in OJ L299, 23.11.96, p 26-28. The Directive entered into force on 13 December 1996. Member States have until 28 October 1998 to prohibit trade in products not complying with the Directive.

The Commission has now commenced work on a Commission Directive laying down detailed rules in connection with 96/70. It is intended that this will concentrate on four items (from amended Article 11.1 or 80.777): limits for levels of constituents, labelling of high levels of constituents, conditions of use of ozone-enriched air and labelling of treatments. Other matters, such as methods of analysis and sampling procedures will be dealt with in a subsequent directive.

The discussion on the use of ozone-enriched air follows an opinion given by the Scientific Committee for Food which suggests that usage should be restricted to carbonated waters with a pH saturation value below 7.2, in closed systems, for a certain duration.


To go to current EU Food Law News page,
click here.
To go to main Food Law Index page, click here.