The letter announces that the Miscellaneous Food Additives (Amendment) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/1136), which amend the Miscellaneous Food Additives Regulations 1995 for the second time, were laid before Parliament on 30 April and will come into force on 28 May 1999 The Regulations implement into GB law the provisions of two EC Directives - European Parliament and Council Directive 98/72/EC which amends Directive 95/2/EC on food additives other than colours and sweeteners, and Commission Directive 98/86/EC, which amends Commission Directive 96/77/EC laying down specific purity criteria on food additives other than sweeteners. Parallel controls will be introduced in Northern Ireland in due course.
The principal provisions of the Regulations relating to controls on food additive usage are:
Although Member States have until 4 May 2000 to introduce the new rules contained in Directive 98/72/EC, it has always been the JFSSG intention to permit compliance in Great Britain as soon as practicable, so that consumers and industry will be able to benefit from them at the earliest possible date. The more restrictive control provisions in the Regulations will not become effective until the deadline laid down in the Directive, i.e. 4 November 2000.