Commission Regulation (EU) No 685/2014 of 20 June 2014 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and the Annex to Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 as regards polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol-graft-co-polymer in solid food supplements Text with EEA relevance

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on food additives⁽¹⁾, and in particular Article 10(3) and Article 14 thereof,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 establishing a common authorisation procedure for food additives, food enzymes and food flavourings⁽²⁾, and in particular Article 7(5) thereof,

Whereas:

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. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012⁽³⁾ lays down specifications for food additives that are listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.

3. Those lists 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.

4. On 13 September 2011, an application was submitted for authorisation of the use of polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol-graft-co-polymer (PVA-PEG graft co-polymer) in aqueous instant-release film coatings for food supplements. The application was made available to the Member States pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008.

5. The European Food Safety Authority evaluated the safety of PVA-PEG graft co-polymer when used as a food additive and concluded that its use in food supplements as film coating is of no safety concern for the proposed uses⁽⁴⁾.

6. PVA-PEG graft co-polymer is intended for use in aqueous instant-release film coatings for food supplements. It protects against unpleasant tastes or odours, improves appearance, makes tablets easier to swallow, gives a distinctive appearance, and protects sensitive active ingredients. A specific property of the substance is that it is extremely flexible, has low viscosity, and dissolves rapidly in acidic, neutral, and alkaline aqueous media. It is therefore appropriate to authorise the use of PVA-PEG graft co-polymer as a glazing agent in solid food supplements and to assign E 1209 as E-number to that additive.

7. The specifications for PVA-PEG graft co-polymer should be included in Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 when it is included in the Union lists of food additives laid down in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 for the first time.

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

9. The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: