Protection of human health: addition of nutrients to food

 The committee adopted the report by Karin SCHEELE (PES, AT) amending the proposal under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure:

- the regulation should also apply to drinking water;

- although the committee agreed that there was no need to draw up a positive list of  'certain other substances' along the lines of the lists of vitamins and minerals in Annexes I and II, it said that there should at least be a definition of 'certain other substances' in the regulation;

- the regulation should contain a definition of the 'recommended daily intake', taking into account the maximum amounts set in Article 7(1) and the recommended daily allowances (RDAs) for nutrients laid down in Directive 90/496/EEC;

- the Commission should establish, no later than the entry into force of the regulation, RDAs for all the vitamins and minerals listed in Annexes I and II, "taking into account the latest scientific knowledge and international recommendations". Upper safe levels and RDAs should also be set for certain other substances;

- on the question of labelling, manufacturers should be obliged to provide information on vitamins and minerals per serving size, as a percentage of the RDA. In addition, information should be expressed per 100g or per 100 ml. Manufacturers should also

 state a recommended daily intake and put a warning not to exceed the stated RDA;

- in the interests of legal certainty and effective consumer protection, the purity criteria and the maximum and minimum amounts should be established before the regulation enters into force;

- the reference levels should be aligned to the Codex Alimentarius guidelines, so that different levels apply to solid products and liquid products;

- the opinion of the European Food Safety Authority must be obtained and consultations held with interested parties (such as food business operators and consumer groups) before setting the implementing rules for the regulation;

- although the regulation bans the addition of vitamins and minerals to beverages containing more than 1.2% by volume of alcohol, MEPs adopted an amendment which would allow the continued production and marketing of tonic wine (sold primarily in the United Kingdom), as well as the addition of certain substances, in very small quantities, as "authenticity markers" to help combat the trade in counterfeit spirits. They also extended the ban to foods containing more than 1.2% by volume of alcohol, pointing out that nowadays foods, such as ice-cream, may also contain alcohol;

- Member States should notify the Commission of the substances or ingredients used in their territory to enrich foodstuffs and the substances other than vitamins or minerals that these may contain. The Commission should publish these reports;

- the provisions governing the procedure for evaluating substances were redrafted to make them clearer and more consistent.