The Food for Particular Nutritional Uses (Addition of Substances for Specific Nutritional Purposes) (England) Regulations 2009

Title application and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Food for Particular Nutritional Uses (Addition of Substances for Specific Nutritional Purposes) (England) Regulations 2009, apply in relation to England only and come into force on 1 January 2010.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“the Act” means the Food Safety Act 1990;

“the Commission Regulation” means Commission Regulation (EC) No. 953/2009 on substances that may be added for specific nutritional purposes in foods for particular nutritional uses;

“food authority” has the meaning that it bears by virtue of section 5(1) of the Act, except that it does not include the appropriate Treasurer referred to in section 5(1)(c) of the Act (which deals with the Inner Temple and Middle Temple); and

“specified provision” means any provision of the Commission Regulation that is specified in Column 1 of the Schedule and whose subject-matter is described in Column 2 of the Schedule.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), any expression other than one defined in paragraph (1) that is used both in these Regulations and in the Act has the meaning it bears in the Act.

(3) Any expression used both in these Regulations and in the Commission Regulation has the meaning that it bears in the Commission Regulation.

(4) Where any functions under the Act are assigned—

(a) by an order under section 2 or 7 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984(1), to a port health authority;

(b) by an order under section 6 of the Public Health Act 1936(2), to a joint board for a united district; or

(c) by an order under paragraph 15(6) of Schedule 8 to the Local Government Act 1985(3), to a single authority for a metropolitan county,

any reference in these Regulations to a food authority shall be construed, so far as relating to those functions, as a reference to the authority to whom they are so assigned.

(5) In these Regulations any reference to the Annex to the Commission Regulation is a reference to that Annex as amended from time to time.

Offences, penalties and execution and enforcement

3.—(1) Any person who contravenes any of the specified provisions shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(3) Each food authority shall execute and enforce these Regulations within its area.

Application of various sections of the Food Safety Act 1990

4.  The following provisions of the Act shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations with the modification that any reference in those provisions to the Act or Part thereof shall be construed as a reference to these Regulations—

(a) section 3 (presumptions that food intended for human consumption);

(b) section 20 (offences due to fault of another person);

(c) section 21 (defence of due diligence)(4), as it applies for the purpose of section 14 or 15;

(d) section 30(8) (which relates to documentary evidence);

(e) section 33(1) (obstruction etc. of officers);

(f) section 33(2), with the modification that the reference to “any such requirement as is mentioned in subsection (1)(b) above” shall be deemed to be a reference to any such requirement as is mentioned in that subsection as applied by sub-paragraph (e);

(g) section 35(1) (punishment of offences)(5), in so far as it relates to offences under section 33(1) as applied by sub-paragraph (e);

(h) section 35(2) and (3)(6), in so far as it relates to offences under section 33(2) as applied by sub-paragraph (f);

(i) section 36 (offences by bodies corporate);

(j) section 36A (offences by Scottish partnerships)(7); and

(k) section 44 (protection of officers acting in good faith).

Amendment to the Tryptophan in Food (England) Regulations 2005

5.—(1) The Tryptophan in Food (England) Regulations 2005(8) are amended in accordance with the following paragraphs.

(2) In paragraph (1) of regulation 2 (interpretation), for the definition “Directive 2001/15/EC” there is substituted the following definition—

““Regulation 953/2009” means Commission Regulation (EC) No. 953/2009 on substances that may be added for specific nutritional purposes in foods for particular nutritional uses;”.

(3) In regulation 5 (exceptions from prohibitions), for sub-paragraph (c) of paragraph (2) there is substituted the following sub-paragraph—

“(c) laevorotatory tryptophan, its sodium, potassium, calcium or magnesium salts or its hydrochloride, added in compliance with Regulation 953/2009 to any food for a particular nutritional use referred to in the Annex to that Regulation;”.

Revocation

6.  The Food for Particular Nutritional Uses (Addition of Substances for Specific Nutritional Purposes) (England) Regulations 2002(9) are revoked.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health

Gillian Merron

Minister of State,

Department of Health

18th November 2009