CELEX: 51981PC0709
Language: en
Date: 1981-11-24
Title: Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 78/664/EEC laying down specific criteria of purity for antioxidants which may be used in foodstuffs intended for human consumption (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (81) 709
Vol. 1981/0206
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                            COM(81 ) 709 final .
                                                            Brussels , 24 November 1981
!  . ■ ■ > '
                                          Proposal for a
                                       i Council Directive
  amending Directive 78 / 664 / EEC laying down specific criteria of purity for
  antioxidants which may be used in foodstuffs intended for human consumption
                 /     ■
                   'V  V
               /      V
             •
                         ( submitted to the Council by the Commission )
  C0M(81 ) 709 final .
 ---pagebreak---                               EXPLANATORY NOTE  •
The Council Directive laying down specific purity criteria^or Antioxidants
 (78/664/EEC) allows Member States to retain existing rational arrangements
in respect of ( a) DL-tartric aoid, (la) hydrolysed lecithin, and ( c) the
aldehyde content of propylene glycol "for economic and technological
reasons". The Council also engages itself to decide "before '1 January 1982
on the criteria of purity referred to in ( a) and ("b).
PL–tart aric acid is not now used as an ingredient in foods and there are
also outstanding questions relating to its safety-in-use as an ingredient
that the Scientific Committee for Pood has not yet examined0 DL–tartaric
acid may "be employed in wine technology as a processing aid ( i.e. a substance,
that in principle will not he present as such or transformed in the wine as
 consumed) and the proposal do6s not affect this use .                        '
The Scientific Committee for Pood has advised the Commission that it sees
no objection to the use of hydrolysed lecithin.    There is a market for this
product which shows techmcological advantages in some oases over non~
hydrolysed lecithin.                                           \ . '
There is no requirement in the Directive to examine the aldehyde content of
                                      V              -                "
propylene glycol « "but it appears that this provision is no longer necessary.
The present proposal has for effect ;
a) the prohibition, as " substance capable of increasing the antioxidant
    effect of other substances " of DL–tartaric acid and its salts ;
"b) the inclusion of hydrolysed lecithin within the scope of "E 322 lecithins "
 c) the introduction throughout the whole Community of the same provisions
    in respect of specific purity criteria for propylene glyool .
  compositional parameters which define the purity of the substance^
 ---pagebreak--- Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive
78/664/EEC laying down specific criteria of purity for antioxidants which
may "be used in foodstuffs intended for human consumption
THE COUNCIL OP THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community ,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission"1",
Whereas the Council Directive 78/664/EEC^ makes provision, for economic and
technical reasons , for Member States to retain their existing national
arrangements-concerning specific criteMa of purity concerning DL-tartaric
acid and salts thereof , hyd'rolysed lecithins and the aldehyde content of
propylene glycol ,    V
                                             /
Whereas DL–tartaric acid is not used as an ingredient in foods , although
it may be employed in wine technology as a processing aid ( i.e. a substance
that in principle will not "be present as such or transformed in the wine
as consumed);
Whereas hydrolysed lecithins show technological advantages in some cases
over non~hydrolysed lecithins , and scientific research on safety in
use show that the use is acceptable £rom the point of view of public health
Whereas the provision relating to the aldehyde content of propylene glycol
is no longer necessary ;
HAS ADOPTED. THIS DIRECTIVE :                      -*          <  .
                              -   Article 1
Directive 78/664/EEC is he'reby amended as follows :
                            i            ,            '    ' -         .
1 . Article 2 is deleted .                 >                     -
2 . In the Annex under E 322
 1        -
 20J No L 223 of 14.8.1978 » P« 30
 ---pagebreak---  a) the entry relating to Description is replaced by
                              Lecithins are mixtures or fractions of
                              phosphatides obtained by physical procedures
                              or "by enzyme hydrolysis from animal or
                             vegetable foodstuffs . The lecithins may "be
                              slightly bleached in aqueous medium by means
                              of hydrogen peroxide . This oxidation must
                              not chemically modify the lecithin phosphatides ".
b) the entry relating to Acid number, is replaced by :
                        '   " Not more than 45 mg of potassium hydroxide
                              per gram ( l ).".
                              Article 2
Member States shall bring into force the laws , regulations and administrative
provisions necessary to comply with this Directive not later than 30 June 1983 .
They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof .
                              Article 3
This Directive is addressed to the Member States .
Done at                                     For the Council
                                            The President