Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Miscellaneous Food Additives and the Sweeteners in Food (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 and come into operation on 1st August 2007.

Amendments to the Miscellaneous Food Additives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

2.  The Miscellaneous Food Additives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(4)(“the Additives Regulations”) are amended in accordance with regulations 3 to 13.

3.  In paragraph (1) of regulation 2 (interpretation) —

(a) the definition of “carrier” and “carrier solvent”, after “miscellaneous additive,” insert “flavouring,”;

(b) in the definition of “Directive 95/2/EC” for “and European Parliament and Council Directive 2003/114/EC” substitute “, European Parliament and Council Directive 2003/114/EC(5) and European Parliament and Council Directive 2006/52/EC(6);”;

(c) in the definition of “Directive 96/77/EC”, for “and Commission Directive 2004/45/EC” substitute “, Commission Directive 2004/45/EC and Commission Directive 2006/129/EC(7);”; and

(d) after the definition of “food additive” insert—

““food supplement” means a foodstuff the purpose of which is to supplement the normal diet and which is a concentrated source of vitamins or minerals or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect, alone or in combination, marketed in dose form such as capsules, pastilles, tablets, pills and other similar forms, sachets of powder, ampoules of liquids, drop-dispensing bottles, and other similar forms of liquids and powders designed to be taken in measured small unit quantities;”.

4.  In regulation 11 (Transitional provision and exemptions), after paragraph (1F), insert—

“(1G) In any proceedings for an offence under these Regulations in respect of any food additive or food, it shall be a defence to prove that —

(a) the food additive or food concerned was put on the market or labelled before 15th August 2008; and

(b) the matter constituting the offence would not have constituted an offence under these Regulations if the amendments made by regulation 5(a), 6(a), 6(b) and (d) or 8 of the Miscellaneous Food Additives and the Sweeteners in Food (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 had not been made when the food additive or food was placed on the market or labelled.”.

5.  In Schedule 1 (Miscellaneous Additives Generally Permitted for use in Foods not referred to in Schedule 6, 7 or 8) —

(a) as Note (5) add—

“(5) The substances E400, E401, E402, E403, E404, E406, E407, E407a, E410, E412, E413, E414, E415, E417, E418 and E440 may not be used in jelly cups, defined for the purpose of these Regulations as jelly confectionery of a firm consistency, contained in semi-rigid mini-cups or mini-capsules, intended to be ingested in a single bite by exerting pressure on the mini-cup or mini-capsule so as to project the confectionery into the mouth.”;

(b) after the entry relating to E461 insert—

6.  In Schedule 2 (Conditionally Permitted Preservatives and Antioxidants) Part A (sorbates, benzoates and p-hydroxybenzoates) —

(a) omit E 216 Propyl p-hydroxybenzoate and E 217 Sodium propyl p-hydroxybenzoate in the first table;

(b) omit the entries for “Shrimps, cooked” and “Crayfish tails, cooked and pre-packed Marinated cooked molluscs” in the second table;

(c) in the first column (entitled “Food”) of the second table, for “Dietetic foods intended for special medical purposes” substitute “Dietary foods for special medical purposes as defined in Directive 1999/21/EC(8)”;

(d) add the following entries to the second table at the end:

7.  In Schedule 2 Part B (sulphur dioxide and sulphites), in the second table —

(a) for the entries relating to crustaceans and cephalopods substitute—

(b) for “Starches (excluding starches for weaning foods, follow-on furmulae and infant formulae)” substitute “Starches (excluding starches in infant formulae, follow-on formulae and processed cereal-based foods and baby foods)”;

(c) at the end of the table add—

8.  In Schedule 2 Part C (other preservatives) the table relating to E 249, E 250, E 251 and E 252 is replaced by the table set out in Schedule 1.

9.  In Schedule 2 Part D (other antioxidants) the table is replaced by the table set out in Schedule 2.

10.  In Schedule 3 (Other Permitted Miscellaneous Additives)—

(a) in the entry relating to E385 in the third and fourth columns (entitled respectively “Food” and “Maximum level”) add—

(b) after the entry relating to E 967 insert—

(c) after the entry relating to E 425 insert—

(d) in the third column of the entry relating to E 468, for “Solid dietary supplements” substitute “Food supplements supplied in solid form”;

(e) in the third column of the entry relating to E 338 to E 452, for “Dietary supplements” substitute “Food supplements”;

(f) in the third column of the entries relating to E 405, E 416, E 432 to E 436, E 473 and E 474, E 475, E 491 to E 495, E 551 to E 559 and E 901 to E 904, for “Dietary food supplements” substitute “Food supplements”;

(g) in the third column of the entries relating to E 1201 and E 1202, for “Dietary food supplements in tablet and coated tablet form” substitute “Food supplements in tablet and coated tablet form”;

(h) in the third column of the entries relating to E 405, E 432 to E 436, E 473 and E 474, E 475, E477, E481 and E482, and E 491 to E 495, for “Dietetic foods intended for special medical purposes” substitute “Dietary foods for special medical purposes as defined in Directive 1999/21/EC”;

(i) in the fourth column of the entries relating to E 1505 to E 1520, after “In the case of beverages,” insert “with the exception of cream liqueurs,”;

(j) at the end of the table add—

11.  In Schedule 4 (Permitted Carriers and Carrier Solvents) —

(a) after the entry relating to E 967, in the first column insert “E 968” and in the second column opposite insert “Erythritol”;

(b) after the entry relating to E 461, in the first column insert “E 462” and in the second column opposite insert “Ethyl cellulose”;

(c) in the third column of the entry related to E 551 and E 552, add the expression “For E 551: in E 171 titanium dioxide and E 172 iron oxides and hydroxides (max. 90% relative to the pigment).”.

12.  In Schedule 7 (Foods in which a limited number of Miscellaneous Additives listed in Schedule 1 may be used) —

(a) for the entry relating to ripened cheese, substitute—

(b) in the entry relating to “pain courant français”, in column 1 add “Friss búzankenyér, fehér és félbarna kenyerek”;

(c) in the entry relating to “foie gras, foie gras entler, blocs de foie gras”, in column 1 add “Libamáj, libamáj egézben, libamáj tömbben”.

13.  In Schedule 8 (Miscellaneous Additives permitted in Foods for Infants and Young Children) —

(a) in paragraphs 1, 1A and 1B of the introductory notes, for “weaning foods” substitute in each case “processed cereal-based foods and baby foods”;

(b) in Part III (miscellaneous additives permitted in weaning foods for infants and young children in good health) —

(i) where it appears in the title and in the third column of the entries relating to E 170 to E 526, E 500 to E 503, E 338, E 410 to E 440, E 1404 to E 1450, and E 1451, for “weaning foods” substitute “processed cereal-based foods and baby foods”; and

(ii) after the entry relating to E 472c insert—

Amendment of the Sweeteners in Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

14.—(1) The Sweeteners in Food Regulations 1996(9) are amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3).

(2) In regulation 2 (interpretation) —

(a) in the definition of “Directive 94/35/EC”, for the expression “and by Directive 2003/115/EC” substitute “ and by European Parliament and Council Directives 2003/115/EC(10) and 2006/52/EC(11).”;

(b) in the definition of “Directive 95/31/EC”, for the expression “and by Directive 2004/46/EC” substitute “and by Directives 2004/46/EC and 2006/128/EC(12).”.

(3) In Schedule 1 (Permitted sweeteners and the foods in or on which they may be used) —

(a) in column 1 after “E 967” add “E 968”; and

(b) in column 2 after “Xylitol” add “Erythritol”.