EFSA Issues Food Additive Priority List
The European Food Standards Authority (EFSA) has issued a priority list
of food additives “for which scientific data are required to finalize their
re-evaluation within deadlines established by European legislation.” Tasked
with re-evaluating hundreds of food additives by 2020, EFSA’s Panel on Food
Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Food (ANS Panel) has asked member
states and other stakeholders to provide the following information for 51 food
additives: (i) “figures from industry on the amounts of these additives they
report using in their products”; and (ii) “data derived from analyses indicating
actual levels of these additives found in foods and drinks from national
food authorities, research institutions, academia, food industry, and other
stakeholders.”
To meet the evaluation deadlines, the ANS Panel has divided food additives
into groups “based on the availability of scientific data.” The panel will accept
data related to the 15 additives in the first group—which includes β-apo-8’-
carotenal, titanium dioxide, and iron oxides and hydroxides—until July 2013,
and data related to the second group—which includes cochineal, annatto
and ascorbic acid—until November 2013. The list also prioritizes the following
food colors “for which a possible exceedance of ADI [Acceptable Daily
Intake] was identified” and which thus require refined exposure assessments:
curcurmin, brown HT, azorubine/carmoisine, allura red AC, brilliant black BN,
quinoline yellow, sunset yellow, and ponceau 4R. Hoping to finalize opinions
on these additives before the 2015 legislative deadline, EFSA apparently plans
to issue additional priority schedules in the future.
