Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/98

of 22 January 2018

amending Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and the Annex to Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 as regards calcium sorbate (E 203)

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on food additives1, and in particular Article 10(3) and Article 14 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 lays down a Union list of food additives approved for use in foods and their conditions of use.

(2)

Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 lays down a Union list of food additives approved for use in food additives, food enzymes, food flavourings, nutrients and their conditions of use.

(3)
Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/20122 lays down specifications for food additives that are listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.
(4)

Calcium sorbate (E 203) is a substance authorised as a preservative in a variety of foods, as well as in food colour preparations and food flavourings, in accordance with Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.

(5)

Article 32(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 provides that all food additives that were already permitted in the Union before 20 January 2009 are subject to a new risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (‘the Authority’).

(6)
For that purpose, a program for the re-evaluation of food additives is laid down in the Commission Regulation (EU) No 257/20103. Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 257/2010 the re-evaluation of preservatives had to be completed by 31 December 2015.
(7)
On 30 June 2015 the Authority delivered a Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of sorbic acid (E 200), potassium sorbate (E 202) and calcium sorbate (E 203) as food additives4. The opinion stated that there was a lack of genotoxicity data on calcium sorbate. Consequently the Authority was not able to confirm the safety of calcium sorbate as a food additive and concluded that it should be excluded from the group Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) defined for sorbic acid (E 200) and potassium sorbate (E 202). The opinion stated that genotoxicity studies on calcium sorbate need to be performed in order to consider including calcium sorbate in that group ADI.
(8)
On 10 June 2016 the Commission launched a public call for scientific and technological data on sorbic acid (E 200), potassium sorbate (E 202) and calcium sorbate (E 203)5, targeting the data needs identified in the Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of those substances as food additives. However, no business operator committed to providing the requested genotoxicity data for calcium sorbate (E 203). Without those data the Authority cannot complete the re-evaluation of the safety of calcium sorbate as a food additive and consequently it cannot be determined whether that substance still fulfils the conditions pursuant to Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 for inclusion in the Union list of approved food additives.
(9)

It is therefore appropriate to remove calcium sorbate (E 203) from the Union list of approved food additives.

(10)
Pursuant to Article 10(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, the Union list of approved food additives shall be amended in accordance with the procedure referred to in Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council6.
(11)

Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008 provides that the Union list of food additives may be updated either on the initiative of the Commission or following an application.

(12)

Therefore, Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 and the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 should be amended by deleting calcium sorbate (E 203) from the Union list of authorised food additives since due to the absence of appropriate genotoxicity data its inclusion in the list can no longer be justified.

(13)

In order to enable food business operators to adapt to the new requirements or to find alternatives to calcium sorbate (E 203), this Regulation should apply 6 months after its entry into force.

(14)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: