THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 1997 concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients, and in particular Article 7 thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
On 10 October 2007 the company Revolymer Ltd made a request to the competent authorities of the Netherlands to place a novel chewing gum base on the market as a novel food ingredient.
(2)
On 23 April 2009 the competent food assessment body of the Netherlands issued its initial assessment report. In that report it came to the conclusion that the novel chewing gum base can safely be used as a food ingredient.
(3)
The Commission forwarded the initial assessment report to all Member States on 30 April 2009.
(4)
Within the 60-day period laid down in Article 6(4) of Regulation (EC) No 258/97 reasoned objections to the marketing of the product were raised in accordance with that provision.
(5)
Therefore the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was consulted on 2 July 2010.
(6)
On 25 March 2011, EFSA in the ‘Scientific Opinion on the safety of a “novel chewing gum base (REV-7)” as a novel food ingredient’ came to the conclusion that the novel chewing gum base was safe at the proposed conditions of use and the proposed levels of intake.
(7)
The novel chewing gum base complies with the criteria laid down in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 258/97.
(8)
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: