PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DIRECTIVE AMENDING DIRECTIVE 79/112/EEC IN RESPECT OF THE DESIGNATION OF FLAVOURINGS IN THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS ON THE LABELS OF FOODSTUFFS
Date: 1990-10-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: advertising, approximation of laws, flavouring, human nutrition, labelling

COMVIISSION  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

COM(90)  458 final 

Brussels,  2  October  1990 

Proposal  for a 

COUNCIL  DIRECTIVE 

amending  Directive  79/112/EEC 
in respect  of  the designation  of  fiavourings  in the  List  of  ingredients 
on the  Labels of  foodstuffs 

(presented  by  the Commission) 

-  2  -

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

Directive  79/112/EEC  of  18 December  1978 on  the  approximation  of  the  laws 
of  the Member  States  relating  to  the  labelling  and  presentation  of 
foodstuffs,  as  last  amended  by  Directive  89/395/EEC,  stipulates  the 
following  In  the  third  indent  of  Article  6(5)(b) : 

"-flavouring  matter  shall  be  described  in accordance  with  the  national 
provisions  applicable  thereto, until  the  entry  into  force  of  the  Community 
provisions;  these  provisions  shall  be  adopted  In accordance  with  the 
procedure  laid  down  in Article  17". 

In accordance  with  the  above  procedure,  this  text  was  submitted  to  the 
Standing  Committee  for  Foodstuffs  on  19 July  1990 which  was  unable  to give 
an  opinion. 

It  is necessary  to adopt  the measures  referred  to  In the  above  provisions 
in order  to  avoid  trade  barriers  resulting  from  differences  in  national 
laws on  the manner  of  designating  flavourings  among  the  Ingredients  listed 
on  the  labels of  foodstuffs  and  to ensure  that  consumers  are  properly 
informed. 

- 3 

CouncII  Dlrect ive 
of 
amending  Directive  79/112/EEC 
in respect  of  the designation  of  flavourings  in the  list of  ingredients 
on  the  labels of  foodstuffs 

THE COUNCIL  OF THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES, 

Having  regard  to the Treaty  establishing  the European  Economic  Community, 

Having  regard  to Council  Directive 79/112/EEC of  18 December  1978 on  the 
approximation of  the  laws of  the Member  States relating  to.the  labelling, 
presentation  and  advertising  of  foodstuffs  for  sale  to the ultimate 
consumer  (1), as  last  amended  by Directive  89/395/EEC  (2), and  in 
particular  the third  indent  of Article  6(5)(b) thereof, 

Having  regard  to the proposal  from  the  Commission, 

Whereas  differences  in national  laws on  the manner  of  designating 
flavourings  among  the  ingredients  listed on  the  labels of  foodstuffs may 
impede  free  trade  in these products  and  create unequal  conditions of 
compet i t ion; 

Whereas  any provisions oh  the  labelling of  foodstuffs must  be geared  to the 
requirements of consumer  information and protection; 

Whereas  the  term  "natural" or  any other  word  having  substantially  the same 
meaning  should  therefore  be  protected; 

Whereas  these  terms have been defined  in Article 9(2) of Council  Directive 
88/388/EEC of  22 June  1988 on  the approximation of  the  laws of  the Member 
States  relating  to flavourings  for use  in foodstuffs and  to source 
materials  for  their  production (3); 

Whereas  it has become  necessary  to extend  this defelnltion  to the  labelling 
of  foodstuffs; 

Whereas  in accordance with  the procedure of  article  10 of Council  Directive 
88/388/EEC,  this  text  was submitted  to the Standing  Committee  for 
Foodstuffs which was unable  to express an opinion  and, whereas under  the 
same procedure,  the Commission  shall  submit  to the Council  a proposal 
relating  to the measures  to be  taken. 

HAS ADOPTED  THIS DIRECTIVE  : 

Article 1 

Directive 79/112/EEC  shall  be amended  as follows 

(1) 0J  No L 33, 8.2.1979,  p. 1. 
(2) 0J  No L  186, 30.6.1989, p. 17 
(3) 0J  No L  184, 15.7.1988, p. 61 

-  4  -

The  third  indent  of  Article  6(5)(b)  shall  be  replaced  by  the 
fol lowing  : 

-"flavourings  shall  be  designated  In  accordance  with  Annex  I I I to  the 

Direct ive." 

The  following  Annex  III  shall  be  added  : 

"Annex  I I I 

Designation  of  flavourings  in  the  list  of  ingredients 

1.  Flavourings  shall  be  designated  either  by  the  word  "flavourlng(s)" 

or  by  a  more  specific  name  or  description  of  the  flavouring. 

2.  The  word  "natural"  or  any  other  word  having  substantially  the  same 

meaning  may  be  used  for  flavourings  in which  the  flavouring 
component  contains  exclusively  flavouring  substances  as  defined  in 
Article  1(2)(b)(i)  and/or  flavouring  preparations  as  defined  In 
Article  1(2)(c)  of  Directive  88/388/EEC  on  flavourings. 

3.  If  the  name  of  the  flavouring  contains  a  reference  to  the  vegetable 
or  animal  nature  or  origin  of  the  Incorporated  substances,  the  word 
"natural"  or  any  other  word  having  substantially  the  same  meaning 
may  not  be  used  unless  the  flavouring  component  has  been  isolated 
by  appropriate  physical  processes,  enzymatic  or  microbiological 
processes  or  traditional  food-preparation  processes  solely  or 
almost  solely  from  the  foodstuff  or  the  flavouring  source 
concerned. 

Article  2 

Member  States  shall,  where  necessary,  amend  their  laws,  regulations  and 
administrative  provisions  in  such  a way  as  to  : 

-  permit  trade  in  products  complying  with  this  Directive  at  the  latest 

by  30  June  1992. 

-  prohibit  "trade  in  products  not  complying  with  this  Directive  with  effect 

from  1  January  1994. 

They  shall  forthwith  inform  the  Commission  thereof. 

This  Directive  is addressed  to  the  Member  States. 

Article  3 

Done  at 

1990  ... 

5. 

Fiche  d'Impact  de certains  actes  législatifs 
sur  les PME et  l'emploi 

Proposition de Directive  du Conseil  portant  modification de la 01 rective 
79/112/CEE en ce qui  concerne  la mention  des. arômes  dans  la  liste des 
Ingrédients  figurant  dans  l'étiquetage  des denrées  alimentaires. 

1.  OBLIGATIONS  ADMINISTRATIVES  DECOULANT DE L'APPLICATION DE LA 
. " LEGISLATION  POUR L ES ENTREPRISÉS 

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désfgnat Ion des arômes  dans  la IIste  des-V 
Ingrédients  figurant  sur l'étiquetage  d e s. 
denrées  alimentaires ce qui devrait  permettre 
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Non. 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(90) 458 final 

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