Proposal on common rules for food additives, food enzymes and food flavourings

Abstract

As part of the efforts undertaken to improve Community legislation on the basis of the “farm to table” concept, in the White Paper on Food Safety, the Commission announced its intention to update and complete existing legislation with regard to additives and flavourings and to lay down specific provisions in respect of enzymes. (Actions 11 and 13 of the White Paper). This proposal aims to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market, while also ensuring a high level of protection of human life and health as regards food additives, food enzymes and food flavourings. In order to do this, it aims to establish a common authorisation procedure that is centralised, effective, expedient and transparent and that is based on risk assessment carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (hereinafter referred to as “the Authority”) and a risk management system in which the Commission and the Member States take action within the framework of a regulatory committee procedure. It assigns to the Commission, on the basis of the Authority’s scientific assessments, the task of creating, maintaining and updating a general positive list for each category of substances concerned. The inclusion of a substance on one of these lists means that its use is authorised in general for all operators on the Community market.

Process

Commission Status

EU Parliament Status

EU Council Status

Additional Comments

25/04/2007: EESC opinion

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