The Food Additives and Novel Foods (Authorisations and Miscellaneous Amendments) and Food Flavourings (Removal of Authorisations) (England) Regulations 2024 were made on May 22, 2024, and will come into force on June 28. The regulations mainly deal with the authorization, use and labelling requirements for food additives, novel foods and food flavours, with key contents including:

(1) Amended Annex 2 of the EU Regulation (EC) No.1333/2008, adding a new food additive steviol glycosides (E960b), and modifying the conditions of use of existing food additives, setting maximum residue limits for ethylene oxide in food additives, and requiring that the total residue level (the sum of ethylene oxide and 2-chloroethanol, in terms of ethylene oxide) shall not exceed 0.1mg /kg;

(2) 4 new types of novel foods have been added to the EU list of novel foods, including partially hydrolyzed proteins of barley and rice, bovine milk whey protein isolate, cetylated fatty acids and 3-fucosyl lactose (produced by E. coli K-12DH1 derivative strain), and the name of the novel foods on the label should use the words “novel food” or “novel food”. The name of the novel food on the label should use the words “novel food” or “novel food”, followed by the name of the specific novel food, and provide information on its characteristics, use, safety, etc. The scope of use of bovine milk whey protein isolate was expanded to include infant formula, follow-on formula, total dietary substitutes, food for special medical purposes and dietary supplements. the scope of use of bovine milk whey protein isolate has been expanded to include infant formulae, follow-up formulae, total dietary supplements, foods for special medical purposes and food supplements, and the maximum amount of the product to be used in different products has been specified. The specifications for the new food products Lactulose-N-Fucose I and 2'-Fucosyl Lactose Blend have been corrected from “≥70%” to “≥75%” as regards the content of the dry matter. The content of Lactose-N-Fucose Pentasaccharide I was corrected from “≥40%” to “≥50%”, and the content of 2'-fucosyl lactose was corrected from “≥10%” to “≥15%”;

(3) 22 flavoring substances have been deleted from the list of authorized food flavors. Foods containing the deleted 22 flavors that are sold in the United Kingdom or shipped to the United Kingdom prior to June 28, 2024, may continue to be sold and used until the minimum shelf-life or “use by” date, or may be added to other foods prior to June 28, after which foods containing these flavors may be sold and used until the minimum shelf-life or “use by” date, and then added to other foods. After June 28, foods containing these flavors will be banned from sale and use.

Learn more: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/685/made