29.7.2017   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 199/8

(1)

Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 lays down a Union list of food additives approved for use in foods and their conditions of use.

(2)

Only food additives included in the Union list in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 may be placed on the market as such and used in foods under the conditions of use specified therein.

(3)

Some food additives are intended for specific uses for certain oenological practices and processes. The use of such food additives should comply with Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 and with the specific provisions laid down in the relevant Union legislation.

(4)

The specific provisions authorising the use of additives in wine are laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3), Council Decision 2006/232/EC (4) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 (5) and their implementing measures.

(5)

Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 (6) lays down specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.

(6)

The Union list and the specifications may be updated in accordance with the common procedure referred to in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008, either on the initiative of the Commission or following an application.

(7)

On 24 February 2015, an application was submitted for the authorisation of the use of potassium polyaspartate as a stabiliser in wine. The application was made available to the Member States pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008.

(8)

The European Food Safety Authority evaluated the safety of potassium polyaspartate as a food additive and in its opinion (7) of 9 March 2016 concluded that there was no safety concern from the proposed use in wine at a maximum use level of 300 mg/L and typical levels in the range of 100-200 mg/L.

(9)

Potassium polyaspartate acts as a stabiliser against tartrate crystal precipitation in wine (red, rosé and white wine). It enhances the keeping quality and stability of wine and its use does not have an impact on the sensory properties. It is therefore appropriate to include potassium polyaspartate in the Union list of food additives and to assign E 456 as E-number to that additive to enable its authorisation as a stabiliser in wine in the specific provisions of the relevant Union legislation.

(10)

The specifications for potassium polyaspartate (E 456) should be included in Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 when it is included in the Union list of food additives laid down in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 for the first time.

(11)

Regulations (EC) No 1333/2008 and (EU) No 231/2012 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(12)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,