ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(81)709
Vol.1981/0206

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(81)709final.
Brussels,24November1981
!.■■>'
Proposalfora
iCouncilDirective
amendingDirective78/664/EEClayingdownspecificcriteriaofpurityfor
antioxidants whichmaybeusedinfoodstuffsintendedforhumanconsumption
/ ■
'VV
/V
•
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission)
C0M(81)709final.

EXPLANATORY NOTE•
TheCouncilDirectivelayingdownspecificpuritycriteria^orAntioxidants
(78/664/EEC)allowsMemberStatestoretainexistingrationalarrangements
inrespectof(a)DL-tartricaoid,(la)hydrolysedlecithin,and(c)the
aldehydecontentofpropyleneglycol"foreconomicandtechnological
reasons".TheCouncilalsoengagesitselftodecide "before'1January1982
onthecriteriaofpurityreferredtoin(a)and("b).
PL–tartaricacidisnotnowusedasaningredientinfoodsandthereare
alsooutstandingquestionsrelatingtoitssafety-in-useasaningredient
thattheScientificCommitteeforPoodhasnotyetexamined0DL–tartaric
acidmay"beemployedinwinetechnologyasaprocessingaid(i.e.asubstance ,
thatinprinciplewillnothepresentassuchortransformedinthewineas
consumed)andtheproposaldo6snotaffectthisuse. '
TheScientific CommitteeforPoodhasadvisedtheCommissionthatitsees
noobjectiontotheuseofhydrolysedlecithin.Thereisamarketforthis
productwhichshowstechmcological advantagesinsomeoasesovernon~
hydrolysedlecithin. \.'
ThereisnorequirementintheDirectivetoexaminethealdehydecontentof
V - "propyleneglycol«"butitappearsthatthisprovisionisnolongernecessary.
Thepresentproposalhasforeffect;
a)theprohibition,as"substancecapableofincreasingtheantioxidant
effectofothersubstances"ofDL–tartaricacidanditssalts;
"b)theinclusionofhydrolysedlecithinwithinthescopeof"E322lecithins"
c)theintroductionthroughoutthewholeCommunityofthesameprovisions
inrespectofspecificpuritycriteriaforpropyleneglyool.
compositional parameterswhichdefinethepurityofthesubstance ^

Proposal foraCouncil Directive amending Directive
78/664/EEClaying down specific criteria ofpurity forantioxidants which
may "beused infoodstuffs intended forhuman consumption
THECOUNCIL OPTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard totheTreaty establishing theEuropean Economic Community ,
Having regard totheproposal fromtheCommission "1",
Whereas theCouncil Directive 78/664/EEC^makes provision ,foreconomic and
technical reasons ,forMember States toretain their existing national
arrangements-concerning specific criteMa ofpurity concerning DL-tartaric
acid andsalts thereof ,hyd'rolysed lecithins andthealdehyde content of
propylene glycol ,V
/
Whereas DL–tartaric acid isnotused asaningredient infoods ,although
itmaybeemployed inwine technology asaprocessing aid (i.e. asubstance
that inprinciple will not "bepresent assuch ortransformed inthewine
asconsumed );
Whereas hydrolysed lecithins show technological advantages insome cases
over non~hydrolysed lecithins ,andscientific research onsafety in
useshow that theuseisacceptable £rom thepoint ofview ofpublic health
Whereas theprovision relating tothealdehyde content ofpropylene glycol
isnolonger necessary ;
HAS ADOPTED .THIS DIRECTIVE : -* < .
- Article 1
Directive 78/664/EECishe'reby amended asfollows :
i , ' ' - .
1.Article 2isdeleted . > -
2.Inthe Annex under E322
1 -
20JNoL223of14.8.1978 »P«30

a)theentry relating toDescription isreplaced by
Lecithins are mixtures orfractions of
phosphatides obtained byphysical procedures
or "byenzyme hydrolysis from animal or
vegetable foodstuffs .Thelecithins may "be
slightly bleached inaqueous medium bymeans
ofhydrogen peroxide .This oxidation must
notchemically modify thelecithin phosphatides ".
b)theentry relating toAcid number ,isreplaced by:
' "Notmore than 45mgofpotassium hydroxide
pergram (l).".
Article 2
Member States shall bring into force thelaws ,regulations andadministrative
provisions necessary tocomply with this Directive notlater than 30June 1983 .
They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof .
Article 3
This Directive isaddressed tothe Member States .
Done at For the Council
The President