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How the EU regulates food additives

 Last Update: 2022-10-12
 Source: Internet
 Author: User

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Due to differences in economy, society, eating habits and other aspects, the food additive management systems of various countries and regions are different
.
Food exporting enterprises should understand the specific regulations of their target countries in order to ensure the compliance
of product exports.
In order to enable relevant enterprises to have a deeper understanding of the differences in food additive regulation in various countries/regions, the Food Partner Network will analyze the regulatory requirements of food additives in various countries/regions, and share how Japan manages food additives in the last issue, and share the management of
EU food additives in this issue.

1 EU regulation of food additives

The EU adopts an approval system for food additives, and only additives that have passed the approval and are included in the food additive list are allowed to enter the market
.
(EC) No 1331/2008 General Approval Procedures for Food Additives, Food Enzymes and Food Flavors sets out the general approval procedures for food additives, enzyme preparations and spices, clarifying that if an existing food additive is applied for a new use and when applying for a new food additive, the applicant shall submit a formal application to the European Commission, and all permitted food additives are subject to a risk assessment
by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

2 Types of food additives in the EU

In the EU, food additives do not include nutritional enhancers, food flavors, basic substances in gum-based confectionery and processing aids, of which food additives, flavors and food enzymes are collectively referred to as food conditioners in the EU, which are regulated
by different regulations.

3 EU food additives used

The EU adopts independent legislative management of food additives, food spices, food enzymes and food processing aids (hereinafter collectively referred to as food additives), including framework regulations and independent regulations
.
Different food additive regulations need to be selected according to the type of food additive to determine the compliance
of food additive use.

Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 "Food additives (other than edible enzyme preparations and spices)" stipulates the management of food additives other than enzyme preparations and spices for food, and Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 "Food Flavors and Food Ingredients with Spice Characteristics in Food" stipulates the management
of food spices and food ingredients with spice characteristics in food.
The use of smoked spices should be carried out in accordance with the provisions of (EC) No 2065/2003 "Smoked Spices Used in Foodstuffs
".

Nutrients added to food are regulated
by (EC) No 1925/2006 "Regulation on the Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Specific Ingredients to Foods".

The EU does not yet have specific food regulations to regulate food processing aids (except enzymes and extraction solvents), and some member states in the EU have developed regulations governing food processing aids in their own countries, such as the Guidelines for the Required Documents for the Evaluation of Processing Auxiliaries Intended for Human Food issued by the Spanish Food Safety Agency
.

At present, there is no unified catalogue of enzymes for food, and the regulations of EU member states continue to be used in the sale, use and production of food enzymes in EU countries until the EU catalogue is issued
.

2009/32/EC Similar Act of Member States on the Use of Extraction Solvents in the Production of Food and Food Ingredients regulates extraction solvents used in the production of food and food ingredients
.

4 Labelling of EU food

The labeling of food additives is carried out in accordance with the provisions of (EU) No 1169/2011 "Provisions on the Provision of Food Information to Consumers"
.
In the ingredient list, the proportion of additive weight is sorted in descending order, and additives with a content of no more than 2% can be arranged in descending order
.
(EU) The functions of food additives listed in No 1169/2011 must be identified
in the form of the functional name and the specific name or the functional name and E-code.

This article is the original article of the Food Partner Network Food Safety Compliance Division, please contact
us for reprint.
Food Safety Compliance Division provides domestic and foreign food standards and regulations management and consulting, food safety information monitoring and analysis and early warning, product registration declaration and filing services, label review and compliance consulting, conference training services, etc.
, for details: 0535-2129301, E-mail: vip@foodmate.
net
.

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