Flavouring substances used or for use in foodstuffs

OBJECTIVE: to lay down a Community procedure for flavouring substances used or intended for use in foodstuffs. COMMUNITY MEASURE: European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 2232/96. SUBSTANCE: the procedure for the establishment of rules in respect of flavouring substances is as follows: Initially, Member States should notify to the Commission a list of the flavouring substances which may, in accordance with the basic directive (Directive 88/388/EEC) be used on their territory. The Commission will then have one year to draw up a register of the notified substances which would be the subject of mutual recognition. Within ten months of the register being adopted, a programme for the evaluation of the substances contained therein will be adopted. The Commission, which will be assisted by the Standing Committee on Foodstuffs, will then have five years to draw up, on the basis of the scientific evaluations, a 'positive list' of the flavouring substances authorized at Community level. The substances authorized will be such as not to constitute a danger to public health and whose use is not misleading. Pending the adoption of the Community list, i.e. during the period of mutual recognition, Member States may have recourse to a safeguard clause where they consider that a flavouring substance is likely to constitute a danger to public health. DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE: 23 November 1996. �