Commission Directive 2003/7/EC of 24 January 2003 amending the conditions for authorisation of canthaxanthin in feedingstuffs in accordance with Council Directive 70/524/EEC (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2003-01-24
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: animal nutrition, food additive, foodstuffs legislation, veterinary drug

L 22/28

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

25.1.2003

COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2003/7/EC

of 24 January 2003

amending the conditions for authorisation of canthaxanthin in feedingstuffs in accordance with
Council Directive 70/524/EEC

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 70/524/EEC of 23
November 1970 concerning additives in feedingstuffs (1), as last
amended by Regulation (EC) No 1756/2002 (2), and in parti-
cular Article 9r thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Under Directive 70/524/EEC the additive canthaxanthin
is authorised under certain conditions.

In 1997 the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF)
concluded the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of canthax-
anthin for humans could be set at 0,03 mg/kg of body
weight.

In the light of the SCF's revision of the ADI, the Scien-
tific Committee on Animal Nutrition (SCAN) reviewed
levels of canthaxanthin in feed for salmonids, broilers
and laying hens to ensure consumer safety. SCAN has
stated that consumer safety would be assured by setting
maximum canthaxanthin concentrations of 25 mg/kg of
feed for salmonids and broilers and at 8 mg/kg of feed
for laying hens.

The current canthaxanthin authorisations need to be
amended to provide greater protection for consumers'
health.

The measures provided for in this Directive are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on
the Food Chain and Animal Health,

Article 1

The conditions for authorising canthaxanthin (E 161g)
in
feedingstuffs are amended in accordance with the entries in the
Annex to this Directive.

Article 2

Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and
administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Direc-
tive by 1 September 2003 at the latest. They shall forthwith
inform the Commission thereof.

They shall apply those provisions from 1 December 2003.

When Member States adopt these measures, they shall contain
a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such
reference on the occasion of their official publication. The
procedure for making such reference shall be adopted by
Member States.

Member States shall communicate to the Commission the texts
of the provisions of national law which they adopt in the field
covered by this Directive.

Article 3

This Directive shall enter into force on the 20th day following
that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Communities.

Done at Brussels, 24 January 2003.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 270, 14.12.1970, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 265, 3.10.2002, p. 1.

EC No

Additive

Colourants including pigments

1. Carotenoids and xanthophylls

E 161 g

Canthaxanthin

ANNEX

Chemical
formula,
description

Species or category
of animal

Maximum
age

Minimum
content

Maximum
content

mg/kg of complete
feedingstuff

Other provisions

End of period
of authorisation

C40H52O2

Poultry other than laying
hens

—

—

25

The mixture of canthaxanthin with other
carotenoids
allowed
and xanthophylls
provided that the total concentration of the
mixture does not exceed 80 mg/kg in the
complete feedingstuff

is

Without a time limit

Laying hens

8

The mixture of canthaxanthin with other
carotenoids
allowed
and xanthophylls
provided that the total concentration of the
mixture does not exceed 80 mg/kg in the
complete feedingstuff

is

Without a time limit

Salmon, trout

—

—

25

Dogs,
cats
mental fish

and orna-

—

3.

Colouring agents authorised for colou-
ring foodstuffs by Community rules,
other than Patent blue V, Acid brilliant
green BS, and Canthaxanthin

—

All species or categories
the
animals with
of
exception of dogs and
cats

Dogs

Cats

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

Use permitted from the age of 6 months
onwards
The mixture of canthaxanthin with astha-
xanthin is allowed provided that
the total
concentration of the mixture does not exceed
100 mg/kg in the complete feedingstuff

Without a time limit

—

Without a time limit

Without a time limit

feedingstuffs only in

Permitted in animal
products processed from:
(i) waste products of foodstuffs, or
(ii) other base substances, with the exception
of cereals and manioc flour, denatured by
means of these agents or coloured during
technical preparation to ensure the neces-
sary identification during manufacture

—

—

Without a time limit

Without a time limit

L

2
2
/
2
9

.

.

2
5
1
2
0
0
3

E
N

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EC No

Additive

3.1 Canthaxanthin authorised for colouring

foodstuffs by Community rules

Chemical
formula,
description

Species or category
of animal

Maximum
age

Minimum
content

Maximum
content

mg/kg of complete
feedingstuff

All species or categories
than
of
animals other
poultry,
trout,
dogs and cats

salmon,

—

—

—

Dogs

Cats

—

—

—

—

Poultry other than laying
hens, salmon, trout

Laying hens

—

—

25

8

Other provisions

End of period
of authorisation

Without a time limit

Without a time limit

Without a time limit

Without a time limit

Without a time limit

feedingstuffs only in

Permitted in animal
products processed from:
(i) waste products of foodstuffs, or
(ii) other base substances, with the exception
of cereals and manioc flour, denatured by
means of these agents or coloured during
technical preparation to ensure the neces-
sary identification during manufacture

—

—

feedingstuffs only in

Permitted in animal
products processed from:
(i) waste products of foodstuffs, or
(ii) other base substances, with the exception
of cereals and manioc flour, denatured by
means of these agents or coloured during
technical preparation to ensure the neces-
sary identification during manufacture

feedingstuffs only in

Permitted in animal
products processed from:
(i) waste products of foodstuffs, or
(ii) other base substances, with the exception
of cereals and manioc flour, denatured by
means of these agents or coloured during
technical preparation to ensure the neces-
sary identification during manufacture

L

2
2
/
3
0

E
N

O

f
f
i
c
i
a
l

J
o
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n
a
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o
f

t
h
e

E
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p
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n
C
o
m
m
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t
i
e
s

.

.

2
5
1
2
0
0
3