Approval and legislation
Food additives may be added to foods only after
extensive testing and authorisation. Safety is vital, but under the
requirements of EU legislation, the need for the additive must also
be proven and the additive must be used in line with Good
Manufacturing Practice. Safety tests are conducted to monitor any
adverse effect that may occur on a short term and long term
basis.
Safety evaluation processes can be complicated and can last for
several years. The results of the safety tests are assessed by
experts independent of the food manufacturer. This is then used to
determine the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for human consumption
which is an internationally recognised concept for assessing the
safety of ingredients and contaminants in foods.
Before any additive can be used, the European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA) must agree on it's safety and the Standing
Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH) must agree
on it's need. Once these have been agreed upon, the European
Commission can propose the necessary legislation to regulate usage.
The resulting EU directive is then transposed on a national level
for implementation in the individual member states.
Table 1 shows the EU directives governing colours, preservatives
and low calorie sweeteners.
Table1. Additives Regulations
| Additive type |
EU Directive |
UK Legislation |
| Colours |
EU Colours Directive 94/36 EC |
Colours Regulations 1995 |
| Preservatives |
EU Directive on Food Additives other than Colours and
Sweeteners |
Miscellaneous Food Additive Regulations 95 |
| Low-calorie sweeteners |
EU Sweetener Directive 94 |
Sweeteners in Food Regulations 1995 (revised 1997) Food
Labelling Regulations 1996 |