Food Additives, Enzymes, and Flavourings Legislation in the European Union

The European Union adopted in 2008 a package of regulations which further upgrades and further harmonises the rules for food additives and flavourings to be used in and on food and introduces harmonised EU legislation on food enzymes for the first time. In addition, a simplified common approval procedure for food additives, flavourings and enzymes, was created which is based on the scientific opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). These regulations often are referred to as the "Food Improvement Agent Package" (FIAP). For additives and flavourings that were already covered by EU legislation, the regulations bring the rules into line with the latest scientific and technological developments and will improve the clarity of the legislation. With regard to food enzymes, the new regulation replaces divergent national legislation with new, harmonised EU rules, including a procedure for the establishment of a Union list of authorised food enzymes. This chapter provides an overview of this new EU legislation.