European Communities Detailed Provisions on the Control of Additives, Other Than Colours and Sweeteners For Use in Foodstuffs) Regulations, 1997
Statutory Instruments
Source: Statutory Instruments

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paragraphs: These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Detailed Provisions on the Control of Additives, other than Colours and Sweeteners, for use in Foodstuffs) Regulations, 1997.
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paragraphs: These Regulations shall come into force on the 25th day of March, 1997.
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paragraphs: (1) In these Regulations any reference to an article or Schedule shall, except where otherwise indicated, be construed as a reference to an article contained in these Regulations or, as may be, to the Schedule thereto; any reference in an article to a sub-article shall be construed as a reference to a sub-article of that article.
(2) In these Regulations words and phrases shall have the same meaning as in the European Communities (General Provisions on the Control of Additives and in Particular, Colours and Sweeteners, for use in Foodstuffs) Regulations, 1995 (S.I. 344 of 1995).
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paragraphs: (1) These Regulations make detailed provisions for the use in foodstuffs of the categories of food additives defined in sub-article (2). The general provisions for the use of these food additives are laid down in the European Communities (General Provisions on the Control of Additives and in Particular, Colours and Sweeteners, for use in Foodstuffs) Regulations, 1995 (S.I. 344 of 1995).
(2) For the purpose of these Regulations
( a ) 'preservatives' are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foodstuffs by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms;
( b ) 'antioxidants' are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foodstuffs by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes,
( c ) 'carriers', including carrier solvents, are substances used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive without altering its technological function (and without exerting any technological effect themselves) in order to facilitate its handling, application or use;
( d ) 'acids' are substances which increase the acidity of a foodstuff and/or impart a sour taste to it;
( e ) 'acidity regulators' are substances which alter or control the acidity or alkalinity of a foodstuff,
( f ) 'anti-caking agents' are substances which reduce the tendency of individual particles of a foodstuff to adhere to one another;
( g ) 'anti-foaming agents' are substances which pre-vent or reduce foaming;
( h ) 'hulking agents' are substances which contribute to the volume of a foodstuff without contributing significantly to its available energy value;
( i ) 'emulsifiers' are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff;
( j ) 'emulsifying salts' are substances which convert proteins contained in cheese into a dispersed form and thereby bring about homogenous distribution of fat and other components;
( k ) 'firming agents' are substances which make tissues of fruit or vegetables firm or crisp, or interact with gelling agents to produce or strengthen a gel;
( l ) 'flavour enhancers' are substances which enhance the existing taste and/or odour of a foodstuff;
( m ) 'foaming agents' are substances which make it possible to form a homogenous dispersion of a gaseous phase in a liquid or solid foodstuff;
( n ) gelling agents' are substances which give a foodstuff texture through formation of a gel,
( o ) 'glazing agents' (including lubricants) are substances which, when applied to the external surface offoodstuff, impart a shiny appearance or provide a protective coating;
( p ) 'humectants' are substances which pre-vent foodstuffs from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium;
( q ) 'modified starches' are substances obtained by one or more chemical treatments of edible starches, which may have undergone a physical or enzymatic treatment, and may be acid or alkali thinned or bleached:
( r ) 'packaging gases' are gases other than air, introduced into a container before, during or after the placing of a foodstuff in that container;
( s ) 'propellants' are gases other than air which expel a foodstuff from a container;
( t ) 'raising agents' are substances or combinations of substances which liberate gas and thereby increase the volume of a dough or a batter;
( u ) 'sequestrants' are substances which form chemical complexes with metallic ions;
( v ) 'stabilisers' are substances which make it possible to maintain the physio-chemical state of a foodstuff; stabilisers include substances which enable the maintenance of a homogenous dispersion of two or more immiscible substances in a foodstuff and include also substances which stabilise, retain or intensify an existing colour of a foodstuff; and
( w ) 'thickeners' are substances which increase the viscosity of a foodstuff.
(3) These Regulations do not apply to flour treatment agents, colours or sweeteners for use in foodstuffs for human consumption where
— flour treatment agents, other than emulsifiers, are substances which are added to flour or dough to improve its baking quality, and
— colours and sweeteners are as defined in and regulated by the European Communities (General Provisions on the Control of Additives, and in particular Colours and Sweeteners for use in Foodstuffs) Regulations, 1995 ( S.I. No. 344 of 1995 ).
(4) For the purposes of these Regulations the following are not considered as food additives:
( a ) substances used for treatment of drinking water as provided for in Directive 80/778/EEC 2
2O.J No. L 229. 30.8.1980. p. 11
( b ) products containing pectin and derived from dried apple pomace or peel of citrus fruits, or from a mixture of both, by the action of dilute acid followed by partial neutralisation with sodium or potassium salts (liquid pectin');
( c ) chewing gum bases;
( d ) white or yellow dextrin, roasted or dextrinated starch, starch modified by acid or alkali treatment, bleached starch, physically modified starch and starch treated by amylolitic enzymes,
( e ) ammonium chloride;
( f ) blood plasma, edible gelatin, protein hydrolysates and their salts, milk protein and gluten;
( g ) amino acids and their salts other than glutamic acid, glycine, cysteine and cystine and their salts and having no additive function;
( h ) caseinates and casein; and
( i ) inulin.
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paragraphs: (1) Only substances listed in Parts A, C, D and E of the Schedule may be used in foodstuffs for the purposes mentioned in Article 4(2).