FSA Consultation Letter, 20 October 2004
Consultation on draft regulations implementing European Commission Directive 2004/47/EC amending Directive 95/45/EC as regards mixed carotenes (e 160 a (i)) and beta-carotene (e 160 a (ii)). Responses are requested by: 14 January 2005
Consultation details
The draft Regulations will amend the Colours in Food Regulations 1995 to implement Commission Directive 2004/47/EC in England.
Commission Directive 95/45/EC lays down specific purity criteria (specifications) for colours for use in foods throughout the EU. It has been amended on two previous occasions. It contains details of the specific purity criteria for colours permitted by European Parliament and Council Directive 94/36/EC on colours for use in foodstuffs.
Directive 2004/47/EC
Directive 2004/47/EC of 16 April 2004, which was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (L 113) on 20 April 2004, amends Directive 95/45/EC for the third time. The changes are as follows:
The specification for beta-carotene from Blakeslea trispora (E160 a (ii)) has
been amended to include two additionally permitted extraction solvents (isobutyl
acetate and isopropyl alcohol) in line with the recent opinion of the European
Commission's Scientific Committee on Food (SCF).
Levels for heavy metals in the specifications for mixed carotenes (E 160 a (i) and beta carotene (E 160 a (ii)) have been amended to bring them into line with international standards.
The proposed regulations
The Colours in Food Regulations 1995 have been amended twice (in 2000 and 2001) to implement Commission Directives 1999/75/EC and 2001/50/EC. The draft Colours in Food (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2004 will implement the provisions of Directive 2004/47/EC in England. Copies are currently available on the FSA web site.
Member States are required to implement the provisions of Directive 2004/47/EC into national legislation by 1 April 2005 and to prohibit products that do not comply with the Directive by this date. It is planned that the new regulations will come into force in England on 1 April 2005.