EU Publishes List of Authorized Flavorings for Food Use

The European Commission has published its list of flavoring substances
authorized for use in foods. Effective October 22, 2012, Regulation EU
872/2012 provides a roster of more than 2,500 substances evaluated by the
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and deemed safe for human food
uses, while Regulation EU 873/2012 establishes transitional measures for
other flavorings, such as those made from non-food sources, that are still
under review. Flavoring substances not found on the list “will be banned after
an 18-months phasing-out period.”

To prepare the new regulations, EFSA’s Scientific Panel on Food Contact
Materials, Enzymes, Flavorings and Processing Aids (the CEF Panel) initially
considered approximately 2,800 substances already on the EU market as
well as 197 additions. Although the majority of substances reportedly did
not present safety concerns, the CEF Panel recommended removing seven
substances from commerce and asked for further data on 400 others.
Industry can submit data on these pending applications before the deadlines
established in the new list, which will apply as of April 22, 2013, and undergo
annual updates.

“The Panel is extremely satisfied that this long-term program of work is now coming to fruition,” CEF Panel Chair Iona Pratt said in an October 1, 2012, press release. “However, our job is not completely done yet. Besides the remaining substances for which data are required, EFSA also expects to receive a number of applications related to new flavorings, many of which are likely to be complex mixtures that may require a revised risk assessment approach.”