Food additives other than colours and sweeteners

In adopting the report by Mrs Hiltrud BREYER (Green Group, D) Parliament fundamentally amended the proposal for a directive, rejecting a whole list of proposed food additives. Parliament was opposed to the use of new additives in pasteurised cream and sterilized milk or to the authorization to new additives seeking to prolong the period of conservation of certain fruit and vegetables, enhance the taste of margarine, sweeten chewing gum or give rice a shinier appearance. It also opposed the use of an additive which might increase the sugar content of soft drinks for children. Finally, it rejected proposals concerning the use of sulphur-based products in dried apples and pears and hydrochloric acid in mozzarella. However, Parliament did not adopt the recommendation by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection that processed eucheuma seaweed (E 407a), a jellifying additive exported by the Philippines be reclassified as E 408, so as to avoid confusion with carrageenan, which is regarded as purer. �