SPS Notification: Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/196 of 28 January 2026 amending Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the use of carrageenan (E 407) and etc. G/SPS/N/EU/925

1.

Notifying Member: EUROPEAN UNION

If applicable, name of local government involved:

2.

Agency responsible: European Commission, Health and Food Safety Directorate-General

3.

Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable): Food products

4.

Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:

[X]    All trading partners

[ ]      Specific regions or countries:

5.

Title of the notified document: Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/196 of 28 January 2026 amending Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the use of carrageenan (E 407), locust bean gum (E 410), guar gum (E 412), gum arabic (acacia gum) (E 414), xanthan gum (E 415), pectins (E 440) and starch sodium octenyl succinate (E 1450) and Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 as regards specifications for locust bean gum (E 410), guar gum (E 412), gum arabic (acacia gum) (E 414), xanthan gum (E 415), pectins (E 440) and starch sodium octenyl succinate (E 1450) (Text with EEA relevance). Language(s): English, French and Spanish. Number of pages: 18

https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/SPS/EEC/26_01264_00_e.pdf

https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/SPS/EEC/26_01264_00_f.pdf

https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/SPS/EEC/26_01264_00_s.pdf

6.

Description of content: Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/196 amends Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 as regards the use of carrageenan (E 407), locust bean gum (E 410), guar gum (E 412), gum arabic (acacia gum) (E 414), xanthan gum (E 415), pectins (E 440) and starch sodium octenyl succinate (E 1450), and Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 as regards specifications for locust bean gum (E 410), guar gum (E 412), gum arabic (acacia gum) (E 414), xanthan gum (E 415), pectins (E 440) and starch sodium octenyl succinate (E 1450).

The safety of the mentioned food additives was re-evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the context of the EU programme for the re-evaluation of approved food additives. In its scientific opinions on the follow-up to the re-evaluation of the above-mentioned food additives, EFSA recommended some modifications to the existing EU specifications. In line with the EFSA opinions, the draft measure proposes to lower or include maximum limits for toxic elements present as impurities, to include maximum limits for aluminium present as impurity, to include the maximum protein content and to harmonise the microbiological criteria among the different hydrocolloids. Since the submitted data for guar gum (E 412) are not sufficient to support the safe use in food for infants and young children, the draft measure proposes to withdraw the authorisation for guar gum in the relevant food categories.

As regards the EFSA recommendation related to the need for an absence of a residual enzyme activity for xanthan gum (E 415), there must be step(s) in the production process where enzymes are removed or inactivated to avoid reacting with the foods to which E 415 is added.

For locust bean gum (E 410), pectins (E 440) and starch sodium octenyl succinate(E 1450), the draft proposes to lower their maximum levels for food for infants and young children as the dietary exposure from those foods is too high in comparison to the identified reference point.

7.

Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, [ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from other damage from pests.

8.

Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:

[X]      Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex standard or related text):

• Codex General Standard for Food Additives - Codex Stan 192-1995
• List of Codex Specifications for Food Additives – CXA 6-2025

[ ]        World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic Animal Health Code, chapter number):

[ ]        International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number):

[ ]        None

Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?

[ ] Yes   [X] No

If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the international standard: The food additive specifications of locust bean gum (E 410) developed by JECFA do not contain maximum levels for mercury and cadmium, and microbiological criteria for Enterobacteriaceae.

For guar gum (E 412), the food additive specifications developed by JECFA do not contain maximum levels for arsenic, mercury and cadmium, and microbiological criteria for Enterobacteriaceae.

For gum arabic (E 414), the food additive specifications developed by JECFA do not contain maximum levels for arsenic, mercury, cadmium and aluminium, and microbiological criteria for total plate count, yeast and moulds and Enterobacteriaceae.

For xanthan gum (E 415), the food additive specifications developed by JECFA do not contain requirement on residual enzyme activity, maximum levels for arsenic, mercury and cadmium, and microbiological criteria for Enterobacteriaceae.

For pectin (E 440 (i)) and amidated pectin (E 440 (ii)), the food additive specifications developed by JECFA do not contain maximum levels for arsenic, mercury, cadmium and aluminium, and microbiological criteria.

For starch sodium octenyl succinate (E 1450), the food additive specifications developed by JECFA do not contain maximum levels for arsenic and mercury.

9.

Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:

• Re-evaluation of locust bean gum (E 410) as a food additive, EFSA Journal 2017;15(1):4646 
• Re-evaluation of locust bean gum (E 410) as a food additive in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age and follow-up of its re-evaluation as a food additive for uses in foods for all population groups, EFSA Journal 2023;21(2):7775
• Re-evaluation of guar gum (E 412) as a food additive, EFSA Journal 2017;15(2):4669 
• Re-evaluation of guar gum (E 412) as a food additive in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age and follow-up of its re-evaluation as food additive for uses in foods for all population groups, EFSA Journal 2024;22:e8748
• Re-evaluation of acacia gum (E 414) as a food additive, EFSA Journal 2017;15(4):4741 
• Opinion on the re-evaluation of acacia gum (E 414) as a food additive in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age and the follow-up of its re-evaluation as a food additive for uses in foods for all population groups, EFSA Journal 2019;17(12):5922 
• Re-evaluation of xanthan gum (E 415) as a food additive, EFSA Journal 2017;15(7):4909 
• Re-evaluation of xanthan gum (E 415) as a food additive in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age and follow-up of its re-evaluation as a food additive for uses in foods for all population groups, EFSA Journal 2023;21(5):7951 
• Re-evaluation of pectin (E 440i) and amidated pectin (E 440ii) as food additives, EFSA Journal 2017;15(7):4866 
• Opinion on the re-evaluation of pectin (E 440i) and amidated pectin (E 440ii) as food additives in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age and follow-up of their re-evaluation as food additives for uses in foods for all population groups, EFSA Journal 2021;19(1):6387
• Re-evaluation of oxidised starch (E 1404), monostarch phosphate (E 1410), distarch phosphate (E 1412), phosphated distarch phosphate (E 1413), acetylated distarch phosphate (E 1414), acetylated starch (E 1420), acetylated distarch adipate (E 1422), hydroxypropyl starch (E 1440), hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (E 1442), starch sodium octenyl succinate (E 1450), acetylated oxidised starch (E 1451) and starch aluminium octenyl succinate (E 1452) as food additives, EFSA Journal 2017;15(10):4911 
• Opinion on the re-evaluation of starch sodium octenyl succinate (E 1450) as a food additive in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age and the follow-up of its re-evaluation as a food additive for uses in foods for all population groups, EFSA Journal 2020;18(8):5874

10.

Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy):28 January 2026

Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy):29 January 2026

11.

Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or(dd/mm/yy):This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply from 18 August 2026 or 27 April 2027 depending on the food category.

[ ]      Trade facilitating measure

12.

Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification and/or (dd/mm/yy): Not applicable

Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:

European Commission

DG Health and Food Safety, Unit A4-Multilateral International Relations

Rue Froissart 101

B-1049 Brussels

Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263

E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu

13.

Text(s) available from: [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:

European Commission

DG Health and Food Safety, Unit A4-Multilateral International Relations

Rue Froissart 101

B-1049 Brussels

Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263

E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu