COMMISSION REGUL ATION (EU) No 505/2014 
of 15 May 2014 
amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council as regards the use of caramel colours (E 150a-d) in beer and malt bev erages 
(Text with EEA relevance) 
THE EUR OPEAN COMMISSION, 
Having regar d to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, 
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 
on food additives (1), and in particular Article 10(3) thereof, 
Whereas: 
(1)  Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 lays down a Union list of food additives appro ved for use in foods 
and their conditions of use. 
(2)  That list may be amended in accordance with the common procedure refer red to in Article 3(1) of Regulation 
(EC) No 1331/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2), either on the initiative of the Commission 
or following an application. 
(3)  Caramel colours are food colours currently appro ved for use and listed in Annex II to Regulation (EC) 
No 1333/2008. That appro val takes into account the Acceptable Daily Intakes (ADI) established by the Scientific 
Committ ee for Food in 1987, 1990 and 1996. 
(4)  The European Food Safety Author ity (‘the Author ity’) issued an opinion on 3 Febr uary 2011 as regards the re- 
evaluation of the safety of caramel colours as food additives (3). In that opinion the Author ity established a group 
ADI of 300 mg/kg bw/da y. Within this group ADI an individual ADI of 100 mg/kg bw/da y was established for 
E 150c ammonia caramel. The Author ity concluded that the anticipated dietar y exposure of child and adult popu ­
lations may exceed the ADIs for plain caramel (E 150a), ammonia caramel (E 150c) and sulphit e ammonia 
caramel (E 150d). 
(5)  On 3 December 2012, the Authority issued a statement providing a refined exposure assessment for caramel 
colours E 150a, E 150c and E 150d and concluded that the anticipate d dietar y exposure was considerably lower 
than that estimate d in the previous opinion (4). However , the Author ity concluded that todd lers and adults could 
still exceed the ADI for ammonia caramel (E 150c). Whilst the ADI was only slightly excee ded (6 %) at the high 
levels in todd lers in one Member State, for adults the ADI was excee ded by 5-51 % in five Member States. After 
consider ing more detailed national information about the real uses of ammonia caramel (E 150c), the Member 
States concer ned demonstrate d that the actual intak e is signif icantly lower. However , taking into account that 
beer is the main contr ibut or to the exposure in adults, it is appropr iate to amend the conditions of use and to 
establish maximum use levels for ammonia caramel (E 150c) in food subcategor y 14.2.1 ‘Beer and malt 
beverage s’ to guarant ee a high level of prot ection of human health. 
(6)  Pursuant to Article 11(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 the maximum levels for colours shall apply to the 
quantities of colour ing principle contained in the colour ing preparation unless other wise state d. However , the 
compl ex nature and limited kno wledge of chemical compo sition of caramel colours make s their identif ication in 
food products a challenge. Theref ore, in performin g official controls the compet ent author ities could also consider 
verifying the level of 2-acetyl-4-tetr ahydro xy-butylimidazole, i.e. the impurity which can be analytically deter­
mined and which was taken into account in establishing an individual ADI for ammonia caramel (E 150c). 16.5.2014 L 145/32 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     
(1)OJ L 354, 31.12.2008, p. 16. 
(2)Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 establishing a common author isa­
tion procedure for food additives, food enzymes and food flavourings (OJ L 354, 31.12.2008, p. 1). 
(3)EFSA Jour nal 2011; 9(3):2004. 
(4)EFSA Jour nal 2012; 10(12):3030. (7)  An application for author isation of the use of caramel colours (E 150a-d) in malt beverages was submitte d on 
4 June 2013 and was made available to the Member States pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EC) 
No 1331/2008. 
(8) Beer is not defined in the Union legislation and the national definitions vary among the Member States. Conse ­
quently a particular product classified as beer in one Member State could be classif ied as malt beverage in 
another . Since there is a technological need for caramel colours (E 150a-d) in malt beverages and the use of 
caramel colours is author ised in beer only , the current situation has a negative impact on the internal mark et and 
hinders the free movement of those products. Theref ore it is appropr iate to rectify this situation. 
(9)  The common charact eristic of malt beverages is the absence of malt as such in the final product and similar ities 
in the technology and in the need for food additives with beers. There is a need for caramel colours to restore a 
consiste nt colour which has been affect ed by the production processes and/or to make malt beverages made from 
pale malts visually more appealing. Roasted malts cannot be used to provide the dark colour since they impart 
strong flavour which is not appropr iate for those products. 
(10)  Malt beverag es are niche products providing an alternati ve to products in whic h the use of caramel colours is 
currently author ised (i.e. flavour ed drinks and beers). Theref ore, it is not expected that the author isation of use of 
caramel colours in malt beverag es would have a signif icant impact on total exposure to caramel colours. 
(11)  Pursuant to Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008, the Commission is to seek the opinion of the 
Author ity in order to update the Union list of food additives set out in Annex II to Regulation (EC) 
No 1333/2008, excep t where such updat e is not liable to have an effect on human health. Since the extension of 
use of caramel colours (E 150a-d) to malt beverages constitutes an updat e of that list which is not liable to have 
an effect on human health, it is not necessar y to seek the opinion of the Author ity. 
(12)  Theref ore, Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 should be amended according ly. 
(13)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committ ee on 
the Food Chain and Animal Health, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGUL ATION: 
Article 1 
Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation. 
Article 2 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the 
European Union. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member State s. 
Done at Brussels, 15 May 2014. 
For the Commission 
The Presid ent 
José Manuel BARR OSO  16.5.2014 L 145/33 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     ANNEX 
In Part E of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, in food subcategor y 14.2.1 ‘Beer and malt beverages’, the entr y for ‘E 150a-d’ is replaced by the following:  
‘E 150a,b,d Plain caramel, Caustic sulphit e caramel and 
Sulphite ammonia caramel quantum satis    
E 150c Ammonia caramel 6 000    
E 150c Ammonia caramel 9 500  only “Bière de table/T afelbier/T able beer” (original wor t 
content less than 6 %); Brown ale, porter, stout and old ale’   16.5.2014 L 145/34 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN