Council Directive 65/469/EEC of 25 October 1965 amending the Council Directive on the approximation of the rules of the Member States concerning the colouring matters authorized for use in foodstuffs intended for human consumption

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE  of 25 October 1965  amending the Council Directive on the approximation of the rules of the Member States concerning the colouring matters authorised for use in foodstuffs intended for human consumption  (65/469/EEC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 100 thereof;
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission;
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament (1);
Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2);
Whereas the Council Directive of 23 October 1962 (3) on the approximation of the rules of the Member States concerning the colouring matters authorised for use in foodstuffs intended for human consumption must be amplified and corrected;
Whereas, in particular, research being carried out at present in order to arrive at an accurate assessment of the colouring matters listed in Annex II to the Directive of 23 October 1962 cannot be completed within the three-year period following notification of that Directive set in Article 2 ; whereas that period should therefore be extended to 31 December 1966;
Whereas in certain Member States serious difficulties have been encountered in applying, with regard to lead content, the general criteria of purity laid down in Annex III, Section A (1) (a), to the Directive of 23 October 1962 ; whereas Member States should therefore be allowed to authorise until 31 December 1966 the use in foodstuffs of colouring matters which do not correspond to those criteria;
Whereas the definition of caramel, as given in Annex I to the Directive of 23 October 1962, would exclude the use of certain varieties of that product for colouring foodstuffs ; whereas such exclusion is unjustified, since these products do not endanger human health if their composition satisfies certain specific criteria of purity;
Whereas products which are equally harmless to human health and which are in general use have been omitted from the list of carotenoids and xanthophylls and from the list of products authorised for diluting or dissolving colouring matters;
Whereas, finally, orcein as defined in Annex I to the Directive of 23 October 1962 is not in general use as a colouring matter ; whereas, on the other hand, sulphonated orcein is in general use in certain Member States for colouring foodstuffs ; whereas these Member States should be allowed to maintain temporarily their rules concerning this product in subject to the provisions laid down for the products covered by Article 2 of the Directive of 23 October 1962;