2016-09 EFSA completes the safety re-evaluation of colours as food additives

The publication today of the opinion on the re-evaluation of the safety of titanium dioxide (E 171) as a food additive has closed from a risk assessment side* the re-evaluation of food colours, which started 10 years ago.

This is a milestone in the additive re-evaluation programme, an initiative supported by ELC as it shall contribute ultimately to strengthen consumers’ confidence in the safety of these ingredients. For the cases where issues that require a risk management follow-up have been identified, the European Commission has developed an approach by which interested business operators are requested to provide, by a certain deadline, the new data needed to complete the risk assessment. Failure to do so may lead to a withdrawal of the additive‘s authorisation on the EU market.

According to the programme established by Commission Regulation (EU) No 257/2010, the safety of all food additives other than colours and sweeteners shall be re-evaluated by end 2018, and the safety of sweeteners by end 2020.

As was the case for its members involved in the colour business, manufacturers of other categories of additives will continue to be informed and advised about the process through ELC’s Working Group on Food Additives Re-evaluation.

*  An update of EFSA’s opinion on Aluminium published in 2008 is expected.