NOTIFICATION
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Notifying Member: European Union If applicable, name of local government involved: |
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Agency responsible: European Commission, Health and Food Safety Directorate？General |
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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 |
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Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: |
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Title of the notified document: Draft Commission Regulation amending the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 laying down specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards specifications for titanium dioxide (E 171) (Text with EEA relevance). Language(s): English. Number of pages: 8 https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/EEC/20_3452_00_e.pdf https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/EEC/20_3452_01_e.pdf |
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Description of content: The text aims at updating the current specifications for the food additive titanium dioxide (E 171) in the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 231/2012, in line with the conclusions and the recommendations of the re-evaluation of the safety of this food additive by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), as well as a later EFSA scientific opinion on the specifications for E 171 with respect to its particle size characteristics. The main proposed amendment to the current specifications for the food additive titanium dioxide (E 171) concerns the inclusion of particle size parameters, which are specific for titanium dioxide used as a food additive. In addition, the definition of the food additive titanium dioxide (E 171) in the current specifications is amended to remove the option for its coating with silica and/or alumina, since according to the information provided by business operators titanium dioxide used as a food additive does not have coatings or surface treatments. Moreover, new technically achievable limits for the impurities of lead, mercury, cadmium and antimony in titanium dioxide (E171) are included, which are lower than the current limits. |
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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. |
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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 [ ] 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? If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the international standard: |
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Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: Re‐evaluation of titanium dioxide (E 171) as a food additive (European Food Safety Authority, EFSA Journal 2016;14(9):4545； Scientific opinion on the proposed amendment of the EU specifications for titanium dioxide (E 171) with respect to the inclusion of additional parameters related to its particle size distribution (European Food Safety Authority, EFSA Journal 2019;17(7):5760. |
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Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy): Foreseen for September 2020. Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy): Foreseen for September 2020. |
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Proposed date of entry into force: [X] Six months from date of publication, and/or (dd/mm/yy): 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (with transitional provisions for a six-month period). |
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Final date for comments: [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification and/or (dd/mm/yy): 1 August 2020 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 D2-Multilateral International Relations Rue Froissart 101 B-1049 Brussels Tel: +(322) 295 4263 Fax: +(322) 299 8090 |
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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 D2-Multilateral International Relations Rue Froissart 101 B-1049 Brussels Tel: +(322) 295 4263 Fax: +(322) 299 8090 |