Restricted substances maximum levels

The limits apply to foodstuffs and beverages (mg/kg), with some exceptions, for example, alcoholic beverages and confectionary. In Table 26.1, the maximum levels for these substances for foodstuffs and beverages are given (including the exceptions and/or special restrictions), as per Annex II to the former avoring directive. 

This means that for essential oils, extracts, complex mixtures containing these restricted substances (e.g., nutmeg, cinnamon, peppermint, sage oils,. ..) and when added to food and avorings, maximum levels applied. The same applies to herbs and spices containing these restricted substances as herbs and spices are also food ingredients with avoring properties. ... 

Due to safety/toxicology concerns, some substances should be restricted not only when added as such (for which reason they appear in Annex III Part A) but also when they are naturally present in avorings and food ingredients with avoring properties (for which reason they appear in Annex III Part B). Others (e.g., capsaicin) are only restricted when added as such (as chemically de ned substance ) and appear in Annex IB Part A but not when naturally present (hence they do not appear in Annex III Part B). One of the reasons could be that the use of natural sources in which capsaicin is present (e.g., chilli peppers—Capsicum) is self-limiting (at least for consumers in the EU), and setting limits for the use of peppers would be extremely dif cult from an implementation point of view and for control authorities (to check the maximum levels). An opinion on the safety of capsaicin was published by the SCF in 2002 [18]. 

Although the additives are listed in Synoptic document No.7 [6], this document is provisional, and it is still undecided exactly how control on their use would be best exercised. The two most likely forms of control are a restriction on the migration of the specific substances to food or food simulants (SML) or controls on the composition of the plastic (QM). Several studies have been carried out to provide data on this topic, to relate the maximum level of residual substance in the finished plastic (QM limit) with the amount of substance migrating to foods or food simulants under defined conditions (SML limit). Feigenbaum [15] identified the substances in the polymer with the aid of a reference collection of additives. In subsequent parts of that work, a mathematical model was then developed to relate SM values to QM values. It will be necessary to validate the migration model by generating the necessary experimental data. 

There is a restriction on the maximum authorized level of zinc 4-hydroxybenzene sulphonate in deodorants and antiperspirants estabUshed in the EU legislation (European Commission, Council Directive 76/768/CEE, 1976, Annex III), also for zinc pheno-sulphonate, dichlorophene and other substances used in deodorants. Triclosan and other anti-microbial treated in Chapter 5 are considered as preservatives by the EU legislation and their maximum authorized level is restricted (Annex VI) however, they have an additional anti-microbial function for deodorant users. 

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