# COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2008/60/EC

of 17 June 2008

laying down specific purity criteria concerning sweeteners for use in foodstuffs

(Text with EEA relevance)

(Codified version)

## Preamble

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 89/107/EEC of 21 December 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning food additives authorized for use in foodstuffs intended for human consumption [^1] , and in particular Article 3(3)(a) thereof,

Whereas:

**(1)** Commission Directive 95/31/EC of 5 July 1995 laying down specific criteria of purity concerning sweeteners for use in foodstuffs [^2] has been substantially amended several times [^3] . In the interest of clarity and rationality the said Directive should be codified.

**(2)** It is necessary to establish purity criteria for all sweeteners mentioned in European Parliament and Council Directive 94/35/EC of 30 June 1994 on sweeteners for use in foodstuffs [^4] .

**(3)** It is necessary to take into account the specifications and analytical techniques for sweeteners as set out in the *Codex Alimentarius* as drafted by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).

**(4)** Food additives prepared by production methods or starting materials significantly different from those evaluated by the Scientific Committee for Food or different from those mentioned in this Directive should be submitted for safety evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority with emphasis on the purity criteria.

**(5)** The measures provided for in this Directive are in line with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health.

**(6)** This Directive should be without prejudice to the obligations of the Member States relating to the time-limits for transposition into national law of the Directives set out in Annex II, Part B,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

## **Article 1**

The purity criteria referred to in Article 3(3)(a) of Directive 89/107/EEC for sweeteners mentioned in Directive 94/35/EC are set out in Annex I to this Directive.

## **Article 2**

Directive 95/31/EC, as amended by the Directives listed in Annex II, Part A, is repealed, without prejudice to the obligations of the Member States relating to the time-limits for transposition into national law of the Directives set out in Annex II, Part B.

References to the repealed Directive shall be construed as references to this Directive and shall be read in accordance with the correlation table in Annex III.

## **Article 3**

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the *Official Journal of the European Union* .

## **Article 4**

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

## Final provisions

Done at Brussels, 17 June 2008. *For the Commission* *The President* José Manuel BARROSO

[^1] [OJ L 40, 11.2.1989, p. 27](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_1989_040_R_TOC) . Directive as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( [OJ L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2003_284_R_TOC) ).

[^2] [OJ L 178, 28.7.1995, p. 1](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_1995_178_R_TOC) . Directive as last amended by Directive 2006/128/EC ( [OJ L 346, 9.12.2006, p. 6](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2006_346_R_TOC) ).

[^3] See Annex II, Part A.

[^4] [OJ L 237, 10.9.1994, p. 3](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_1994_237_R_TOC) . Directive as last amended by Directive 2006/52/EC ( [OJ L 204, 26.7.2006, p. 10](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2006_204_R_TOC) ).

| Purity |  |
| --- | --- |
| Loss on drying | Not more than 0,2 % (70 °C, six hours, in a vacuum desiccator) |
| Sulphated ash | Not more than 0,1 % |
| Reducing substances | Not more than 0,3 % expressed as D-glucose |
| Ribitol and glycerol | Not more than 0,1 % |
| Lead | Not more than 0,5 mg/kg |

PART A

Repealed Directive with list of its successive amendments

(referred to in Article 2)

| Commission Directive 95/31/EC | ( [OJ L 178, 28.7.1995, p. 1](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_1995_178_R_TOC) ) |
| --- | --- |
| Commission Directive 98/66/EC | ( [OJ L 257, 19.9.1998, p. 35](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_1998_257_R_TOC) ) |
| Commission Directive 2000/51/EC | ( [OJ L 198, 4.8.2000, p. 41](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2000_198_R_TOC) ) |
| Commission Directive 2001/52/EC | ( [OJ L 190, 12.7.2001, p. 18](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2001_190_R_TOC) ) |
| Commission Directive 2004/46/EC | ( [OJ L 114, 21.4.2004, p. 15](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2004_114_R_TOC) ) |
| Commission Directive 2006/128/EC | ( [OJ L 346, 9.12.2006, p. 6](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2006_346_R_TOC) ) |

PART B

List of time-limits for transposition into national law

(referred to in Article 2)

| Directive | Time-limit for transposition |
| --- | --- |
| 95/31/EC | 1 July 1996 [^1] |
| 98/66/EC | 1 July 1999 |
| 2000/51/EC | 30 June 2001 |
| 2001/52/EC | 30 June 2002 |
| 2004/46/EC | 1 April 2005 |
| 2006/128/EC | 15 February 2008 |

[^1] According to Article 2(2) of Directive 95/31/EC, products put on the market or labelled before 1 July 1996 which do not comply with this Directive may be marketed until stocks are exhausted.

Correlation table

| Directive 95/31/EC | This Directive |
| --- | --- |
| Article 1(1) | Article 1 |
| Article 1(2) | — |
| Article 2 | — |
| — | Article 2 |
| Article 3 | Article 3 |
| Article 4 | Article 4 |
| Annex | Annex I |
| — | Annex II |
| — | Annex III |

[^1]: According to Article 2(2) of Directive 95/31/EC, products put on the market or labelled before 1 July 1996 which do not comply with this Directive may be marketed until stocks are exhausted.
[^2]: . Directive as last amended by Directive 2006/128/EC ().
[^3]: See Annex II, Part A.
[^4]: . Directive as last amended by Directive 2006/52/EC ().