The purpose of the European Parliament and Council Directive was to establish the list of food additives, other than colourings and sweeteners, which were authorized as foodstuffs, and to lay down their conditions of use.
Only those additives which complied with the specifications adopted according to the recommendations of the Scientific Committee on Food could be used in foodstuffs.
The Directive defined the substances which were considered as food additives, the foodstuffs for which these additives could be used and their conditions of use.
The presence of a food additive was authorized:
- in compound foodstuffs, insofar as the use of the additive was authorized in one of the ingredients of the compound;
- in foodstuffs intended exclusively for the preparation of compound foodstuffs in accordance with the provisions of the Directive.
Within five years of the entry into force of the Directive, the Commission would report to Parliament and the Council on developments in the food additives market and would examine the conditions of use and put forward possible amendments.
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