Better Training for Safer Food

Initiative

Tatjana Marcenkova

Regulation 1334/2008. Reminder

and definitions regarding flavorings
A4.01
2019

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Overview of the Regulation 1334/2008/EC
Annex Ι
Union list of flavourings and source materials
Annex ΙI
List of traditional food preparation processes
Annex ΙII
Presence of certain substances
Annex ΙV
•List of source materials to which restrictions apply for
their use in the production of flavourings and food
ingredients with flavouring properties
Annex V
•Conditions for the production of thermal process flavourings
and maximum levels for certain substances in thermal process
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flavourings « Food safety »

Food safety
 Regulation 1334/2008/EC

Lays down the legislative requirements for

flavourings and certain food ingredients with
flavouring properties for use in and on foods

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 Regulation 1334/2008/EC

Annex I consists from A,B,C,E and F parts

 PART A Union list of flavouring substances - > 16.000

substances in the list
 PART B Flavouring preparations to be evaluated
 PART C Thermal process flavourings to be evaluated
 PART D Flavour precursors to be evaluated
 PART E Other flavourings – one substance Pyroligneous
distillate in the list
 PART F Source materials – to be evaluated

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Regulation 1334/2008/EC

• Consolidated
version of
regulation
1334/2008
• with list of
amendments

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 Regulation 1334/2008/EC
Flavourings and certain food ingredients with
flavouring properties
Core provisions:
• Definition of flavourings
• General rules of conditions of use
• Designation of flavourings in list of ingredients
• Union list of authorised food flavourings
• Labelling requirements
• Maximum levels for substances which raise concern for
human health
New aspects
• Comitology procedure for updating Union List 5
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• EFSA’s role in risk assessment

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 Regulation 1334/2008/EC
Main Objectives to official controls
Assure proper enforcement of the proper use/conditions
of use of flavourings
• Setting an official monitoring plan

Assure Safety for Consumers

• Setting priorities towards the safe use of flavourings

Prevent Consumers‘ misleading

• Pleasant, authorized flavours added to food
• Flavours shall not restore, masque, hide bad quality food
or any unpleasant odours

Ensure proper information

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• Labelling requirements for B2B
• Labelling requirements to the final consumer
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 Regulation 1334/2008/EC
Article 1
This Regulation lays down rules on flavourings and food
ingredients with flavouring properties for use in and on foods with a
view to ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market
whilst ensuring a high level of protection of human health and a high
level of consumer protection, including the protection of consumer
interests and fair practices in food trade, taking into account, where
appropriate, the protection of the environment.
Regulation provides:
(a) a Community list of flavourings and source materials approved
for use in and on foods
(b) conditions of use of flavourings and food ingredients with
flavouring properties in and on foods
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(c) rules on the labelling of flavourings
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 Article 2 Scope
Regulation 1334/2008/EC

Applies to:
• Flavourings which are used or intended to be used in or on
foods

• Food ingredients with flavouring properties

• Food containing flavourings and/or food ingredients with

flavouring properties and

• Source materials for flavourings and/or source materials

for food ingredients with flavouring properties

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 Article 2 Scope
Does not apply to:
• Substances which have exclusively a sweet, sour or salty
taste

• Raw foods
• Non-compound foods and mixtures such as, but not
exclusively, fresh, dried or frozen spices and/or herbs,
mixtures of tea and mixtures for infusion as such as long as
they have not been used as food ingredients

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 Article 3 Definitions
What is a flavouring?
• Not consumed as such, added to impart or
modify odour and/or taste

• Consists of one or more of the 6 categories:

• Flavouring substances, flavouring preparations,
thermal process flavourings, smoke flavourings,
flavour precursors and other flavourings
• Can also contain additives and food ingredients
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 Article 3 Definitions
Flavouring substances are defined chemical substances with
flavouring properties, which include flavouring substances
obtained by chemical synthesis or isolated using chemical
processes, and natural flavouring substances
Example: Ethyl butyrate synthesized by a chemical route
Natural flavouring substance means a flavouring substance
obtained by appropriate physical, enzymatic or microbiological
processes from material of vegetable, animal or m/o origin
Natural flavouring substances correspond to substances that are
naturally present and have been identified in nature
Example: Limonene obtained from oranges
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 Article 3 Definitions
Flavouring preparation means a product,
consisting of several components obtained from:
- food by appropriate physical, enzymatic or m/o
processes and/or
- material of vegetable, animal or m/o origin, other
than food, by appropriate physical, enzymatic or
m/o processes
A flavouring substance is a defined chemical
substance, e.g. menthol
A flavouring preparation is not a defined
chemical substance, e.g. peppermint oil 12

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 Article 3 Definitions
Thermal process flavouring obtained after heat treatment
from a mixture of ingredients of which at least one
contains nitrogen (i.e. amino acid) and another is a
reducing sugar
The ingredients for the production of thermal process
flavourings may be obtained from food and/or non food
Specific conditions for the production of thermal process
flavourings and maximum levels for certain substances
are described in Annex V of Reg. 1334/2008/EU
Examples of nitrogen sources: amino acids and their salts,
peptides, proteins from foods or/and their hydrolysis products
Examples of reducing sugars: dextrose/glucose, xylose
Example: Meat flavour made by heating xylose (a
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reducing sugar) and cysteine (an amino acid)
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 Article 3 Definitions
Flavour precursor does not necessarily having
flavouring properties itself, intentionally added to
food for the sole purpose of producing flavour
during food processing; it may be obtained from
food and/or non food
The result is obtained by breaking down/reactions with other
components during processing of the food

Flavour Food with

Food + precursor
Processing modified flavour
carbohydrates,
oligo-peptides,
amino acids
Example: An unheated blend of amino acids and sugars 14

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 Article 3 Definitions

Other flavourings shall mean a flavouring added

or intended to be added to food in order to impart
odour and/or taste and which does not fall under
the other definitions

Example: Rum ether

Rum ether is a “complex Flavour mixture” and it is
produced by reaction of different components. Cannot
be considered as a “Flavouring preparation”

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 Article 5 Prohibitions

No person shall place on the market a flavouring

or any food in which such a flavouring and/or food
ingredients with flavouring properties are present if
their use does not comply with this Regulation

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 Key issues for controls on flavourings

1) Inspections should be based on risk-analysis, on

the data-analysis of previous years (i.e. results
of monitoring programs, RASFF information and
etc.)
2) Plans (yearly, MANCP) for specific inspections
(ad hoc/thematic checks), monitoring programs
3) Procedures, instructions and check-lists for
inspections
4) Trainings for inspectors – theoretical and
practical

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 Key issues for controls on flavourings

1) Controls should be based on the production flow-

charts/recipes, technical instructions and
specifications, the HACCP plan of the company

2) Consideration of recipes and whether FF are used

according to legislation

3) Sampling and analysis of ingredients and/or final

Products

4) Checks on restrictions of undesirable substances in the

final products
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5) Checking proper labelling (B2B, final consumer)

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EU Database: Flavouring substances

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https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/sanco_foods/main/?event=display
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Checklists

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Template for checklist

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 Articles 14-18 & 29 Labelling provisions
• Articles 14-15 cover general labelling provisions
for business to business labelling
• Article 17 covers sales of flavourings direct to the
consumer (e.g. small bottles used for home baking)
• Article 16 covers the natural flavouring labelling
• Article 18 other labelling requirements
• Article 29 covers the designation of flavourings in
the ingredient list of the final food but makes
reference to Article 16 (provisions regarding the use
of the word “natural”)
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 Thank you for your attention
AETS Consortium

Address : 17 av. André Marie Ampère, 64 140 Lons, France

Tel/fax: +33 5 59 72 43 23 / + 33 5 59 72 43 24
Email: contact@aets-consultants.com

Better Training for Safer Food

BTSF
• European Commission
Consumers, Health and Food Executive Agency
DRB A3/042
L-2920 Luxembourg

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