FSA Letter, 8 October 2002
The letter attached a copy of draft Regulations which will amend the Miscellaneous Food Additives Regulations 1995. These will implement the Directive in England.
The new Commission Directive
The new Commission Directive, which has yet to be published in the Official Journal, amends Directive 96/77/EC for the fourth time and lays down new specific purity criteria for certain additives other than colours or sweeteners. It covers a number of the additives listed in Council Directive 95/2/EC (as amended) that have not previously been included in the earlier purity criteria Directives (96/77/EC, as amended by 98/86/EC, 2000/63/EC and 2001/30/EC) as well as amending some of the earlier agreed purity criteria.
The proposed regulations
The Miscellaneous Food Additives Regulations 1995 have been amended four times (in 1997, 1999, and twice in 2001) to implement previous amendments to Directives 96/77/EC and 95/2/EC. The enclosed draft Miscellaneous Food Additives (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003 will implement the provisions of the new Commission Directive by including in Regulation 2 (1) (interpretation) of the 1995 Regulations, a cross reference to the new Commission Directive.
Timing
Although Member States have until 31 August 2003 to implement the provisions of the new Directive into national legislation, it is planned that the new regulations will come into force in England in May 2003 to enable industry and consumers to benefit from the changes as soon as possible.