Pesticide residues in baby foods and infant formulae
Pesticide residues in baby foods and infant formulae
The Commission has published draft Directives relating to pesticide residues in baby foods and infant formulae. They were discussed at the Standing Committee for Foodstuffs on 17/18 December.
While Member States were broadly in favour of the proposals with the following amendments, the Commission themselves withdrew them for internal consultation, indicating that they would then progress by correspondence or return to the subject at the next Standing Committee meeting in February. The main amendments made are:
a declaration committing to a 12 month deadline to fill Annexes IX and VIII in proposals for infant formulae and baby foods respectively;
a slight revision to the recitals to more accurately reflect the views of the EC Scientific Committee for Food;
a revised Article 6
to make it clear that the 0.01mg/kg limit applies to individual pesticides and to products when reconstituted ready for use;
a revised Article 6
to require that pesticides should not be "present" rather than "used" in agricultural products from which baby foods etc. are made.
The Commission also made it clear that Annex VII in the baby foods proposal would be filled as work under pesticides authorisations Directive 91/414 progresses.
Draft commission directive on foods for special medical purposes
At the Standing Committee for Foodstuffs meeting on 17/18 December, the draft directive on Foods for Special Medical Purposes was adopted. The following are noted:
the maximum for Copper was changed and the maxima for Calcium for the 1-10 age group was changed;
the Commission accepted the case put forward by a number of Member States in support of exemption of low birthweight formulae and on the need for further consideration of limits for products for patients with phenylketonuria and other related metabolic disorders;
the Commission confirmed that the accompanying list of approved nutritional substances was likely to be adopted in March;
Adoption of rules for this category of foods is a significant step forward. A number of concerns over the likely operation of these rules were noted at the Committee; the Commission has expressed its willingness to propose amendments if this should prove necessary.
