Commission Directive 1999/75/EC of 22 July 1999 amending Commission Directive 95/45/EC laying down specific purity criteria concerning colours for use in foodstuffs (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 1999-07-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: food colouring, foodstuffs legislation, human nutrition

5. 8. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 206/19

COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 1999/75/EC

of 22 July 1999

amending Commission Directive 95/45/EC laying down specific purity criteria concerning colours
for use in foodstuffs

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Directive 95/45/EC is hereby amended as follows:

Article 1

In the Annex part B the chapter concerning E 160a (i) Mixed
Carotenes is replaced by the text of the Annex to this Directive.

Article 2

Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and
administrative provisions necessary to comply with this
Directive before 1.7.2000. They shall immediately inform the
Commission thereof.

these provisions,

When Member States adopt
these shall
contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by
such reference at the time of their official publication. The
procedure for such reference shall be adopted by Member
States.

Article 3

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Communities.

1.

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Article 4

Done at Brussels, 22 July 1999.

For the Commission

Karel VAN MIERT

Member of the Commission

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 89/107/EEC of 21
December 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the
Member States concerning food additives authorised for use in
foodstuffs intended for human consumption (1), as amended by
European Parliament and Council Directive 94/34/EC (2), and in
particular Article 3(3)(a) thereof;

After consulting the Scientific Committee for Food,

(1) Whereas European Parliament and Council Directive 94/
36/EC of 30 June 1994 on colours for use in food-
stuffs (3), lists those substances which may be used as
colours in foodstuffs;

(2) Whereas Commission Directive 95/45/EC of 26 July
1995 laying down specific purity criteria concerning
colours for use in foodstuffs (4) sets out
the purity
criteria for the colours mentioned in Directive 94/36/EC;

(3) Whereas

it

is necessary,

technical
progress, to amend the purity criteria set out in Directive
95/45/EC for mixed carotenes (E160a (i)); whereas it is
consequently necessary to adapt this Directive;

in the light of

(4) Whereas it is appropriate to take into account the speci-
fications and analytical techniques for colours as set out
in the Codex Alimentarius and the Joint FAO/WHO
Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA);

(5) Whereas the measures provided for in this Directive are
the Standing

in accordance with the opinion of
Committee on Foodstuffs;

(1) OJ L 40, 11.2.1989, p. 27.
(2) OJ L 237, 10.9.1994, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 237, 10.9.1994, p. 13.
(4) OJ L 226, 22.9.1995, p. 1.

L 206/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

5. 8. 1999

‘E 160a (i) mixed carotenes

1. PLANT CAROTENES

Synonyms

Definition

ANNEX

CI Food Orange 5

Mixed carotenes are obtained by solvent extraction of natural strains of edible
plants, carrots, vegetable oils, grass, alfalfa (lucerne) and nettle.

The main colouring principle consists of carotenoids of which beta-carotene
accounts for the major part. a, c-carotene and other pigments may be present.
Besides the colour pigments, this substance may contain oils, fats and waxes
naturally occurring in the source material.

Only the following solvents may be used in the extraction: acetone, methyl
ethyl ketone, methanol, ethanol, propan-2-ol, hexane, dichloromethane and
carbon dioxide.

Class

Carotenoid

Colour Index No

75130

EINECS

230-636-6

Chemical formula

b-Carotene: C

40

H

56

Molecular weight

b-Carotene: 536,88

Assay

Content of carotenes (calculated as b-carotene) is not less than 5 %. For prod-
ucts obtained by extraction of vegetable oils: not less than 0,2 % in edible fats

E

1 % 2 500 at ca 440 nm — 457 nm in cyclohexane
1 cm

Identification

A. Spectrometry

Maximum in cyclohexane at 440 nm — 457 nm and 470 nm — 486 nm

Purity

Solvent residues

Acetone

Methyl ethyl ketone

Methanol

Propan-2-ol

Hexane

Ethanol

Not more than 50 mg/kg, singly or in
combination

Dichloromethane

Not more than 10 mg/kg

Arsenic

Lead

Mercury

Not more than 3 mg/kg

Not more than 10 mg/kg

Not more than 1 mg/kg

Cadmium

Not more than 1 mg/kg

Heavy metals (as Pb)

Not more than 40 mg/kg

5. 8. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 206/21

2. ALGAL CAROTENES

Definition

Class

Colour Index No

Assay

Identification

Mixed carotenes may also be produced from the algae Dunaliella salina, grown
in large saline lakes located in Whyalla, South Australia. Beta-carotene is
extracted using an essential oil. The preparation is 20-30 % suspension in soya
bean oil containing natural tocopherols (up to 0,3 %). The ratio of trans-cis
isomers is in the range of 50/50 — 71/29.

The main colouring principle consists of carotenoids of which beta-carotene
accounts for the major part. Alpha-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-cryp-
toxanthin may be present. Besides the colour pigments, this substance may
contain oils, fats and waxes naturally occurring in the source material.

Carotenoid

75130

Content of carotenes (calculated as b-carotene) is not less than 20 %.

A. Spectrometry

Maximum in cyclohexane at 448 nm — 457 nm and 474 nm — 486 nm

Purity

Arsenic

Lead

Mercury

Cadmium

Not more than 3 mg/kg

Not more than 10 mg/kg

Not more than 1 mg/kg

Not more than 1 mg/kg

Heavy metals (as Pb)

Not more than 40 mg/kg'