Standing Committee on Foodstuffs

The Council and the Commission must adopt positive fists of additives, authorised to the exclusion of all others, fists of foods in which the additives may be used with conditions of use, and rules on carrier solvents. The Standing Committee on Foodstuffs must approve adoption of purity criteria for listed additives and, if necessary, methods of analysis to verily these purity criteria, sampling procedures and methods of analysis for food additives in food. The directive includes provisions that a member state may temporarily suspend or restrict application of an authorisation if it has detailed grounds for considering that the use of the additive in food, although permitted, endangers health. The... 

Commission and the Standing Committee on Foodstuffs must examine this action and may make amendments to the directives to ensure protection of health. The directive also includes rules regarding temporary authorisation of an additive by a member state for reasons of scientific and technical development. 

Aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin, nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins and zearalenone have been evaluated by the Scientific Committee for Food. The question of maximum levels for some of these mycotoxins in foodstuffs has been discussed for several years in the Committee of Experts - Working Party on Agricultural Contaminants under DG VI (now under DG SANCO). Proposals from this committee are then considered by the Standing Committee on Foodstuffs, prior to adoption by the Commission as Commission Regulations. 

This Directive 76/621/EEC (entry into force 28/7/1976) shall apply (a) to oils, fats, and mixtures thereof which are intended as such for human consumption, (b) to compound foodstuffs to which oils, fats, or mixtures thereof have been added and the overall fat content of which exceeds 5%. Manber States may, however, also apply the provisions of this Directive to these foodstuffs when their fat content is equal to or less than 5%. The sampling procedures and methods of analysis necessary to establish the level of erucic acid of the products referred to in this Directive shall be determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in this Directive. The Commission shall examine as soon as possible the grounds given by the Member State concerned and consult the Manber States within the Standing Committee on Foodstuffs, and shall then deliver its opinion forthwith and take the appropriate measures. ... 

Proposals for new limits prepared by Commission Working Parties are submitted to the Standing Committee for Foodstuffs, which consists of representatives of the Member States, but is chaired by the Commission. Decisions on new limits are usually made by the Commission according to a Regulatory Committee procedure (Procedure Illb) - for details see section 13.3.4. The Commission publishes the limits as a Regulation in the Official Journal. Methods of sampling and analysis to check compliance with the maximum levels laid down are also published. 

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