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The
Food Safety Commission was established by the Food Safety Act, 2002,
Section 5 (Act XIV of 2002).
The
principal function of the Food Safety Commission is to take all reasonable
steps to ensure that food produced, distributed or marketed in Malta meets
the highest standards of food safety and hygiene reasonably available and
to ensure that food complies with legal requirements, or where appropriate
with recognised codes of good practice.
Notices
issued by the Food Safety Commission
Consultation / Discussion Documents
Opinion / information issued by the European Food Safety Authority
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Notice issued by the
Food Safety Commission
Decision by The Food Safety Commission on the permitted level of
Saponaria Officinalis in Halva manufacture and import
July 2008
Decision on the use of synephrine in food
The Food Safety Commission, after evaluation of
the information on the health affects of synephrine in humans and on
its use in food, has decided that the use of synephrine in food is
allowed up to a maximum of 30mg per day corresponding to 800mg
Citrus aurantium with 4% of synephrine.
Foodstuffs which exceed the above mentioned
maximum daily dose shall only be sold from a pharmacy.
The content of synephrine (in mg) should be
clearly stated on the label along with the following warning
statement or words to this effect:
“Warning: Patients with cardiovascular disease
and/or hypertension should consult a doctor before taking this
product. Not recommended during pregnancy, lactation and for
children below the age of 12.”
The notifier is reminded of the obligation to
submit a fresh notification, in the case of food supplements, in the
event of any change in the composition of the product and/or its
labelling.
August 2007 |
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Consultation / Discussion Documents
Proposed revision of the food labelling laws
On 30 January this year, the European Commission adopted a proposal
for a draft regulation on the provision of food information to
consumers. This proposal marks the first step in a process to
negotiate new regulations to replace current rules on the labelling
of food. At present, EU general labelling requirements for all
foodstuffs are set out in Directive 2000/13/EC. This Directive sets
the compulsory information that has to be included on all food
labels, such as the name of the product, the list of ingredients,
the date of minimum durability and any special conditions of use.
Nutrition labelling is currently regulated by Directive 90/496/EEC
and while declaring the nutrition information on a label is
voluntary, it becomes a compulsory requirement where a claim is made
on a food product such as ‘high in fibre’ or ‘low fat’. This new
proposed Regulation aims to consolidate and update both the general
labelling and nutrition labelling legislation.
The
proposal aims to simplify existing rules and protect consumers’
interests by providing accurate, necessary information required to
enable them to make informed choices about the food they purchase.
Considering this new proposed legislation, the FSC has opened a
consultation on its website seeking opinions and comments from
stakeholders and interested parties on any aspect of the proposal.
Some of the key areas of change are listed below.
Font size and clarity
The
proposal introduces a minimum font size of at least 3mm for the
mandatory particulars declared on a label. It also stipulates the
requirement for a significant contrast between the print and the
background of the label.
Food
sold loose
Under
this new proposal, the Commission has extended mandatory allergen
labelling to apply to non-prepackaged foods sold through retail or
sold in restaurants and other catering establishments asking for
allergens to be displayed or made available at the request of the
consumer.
Nutrition labelling
The
proposal makes the front-of-pack labelling of the following
nutrients mandatory: energy, fat, saturates, carbohydrates with
specific reference to sugars and salt. A number of additional
nutrients may be declared voluntarily such as trans-fats, fibre and
protein.
Alcoholic beverages
The
proposal will make it a legal requirement to declare the ingredients
list for alcoholic beverages. However, wine, beer and spirit drinks
will continue to be exempt from the provision of ingredients and
nutrition labelling subject to a future Commission report with the
possibility of specific measures being adopted.
The
proposed
Food Labelling Regulations.
Comments
and views on this consultation should be submitted by Tuesday 30
September 2008 by email to
foodsafety.commission@gov.mt, subject - Labelling consultation.
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Members
of the Commission
Functions of
the Commission
Department for
Environmental
Health
Department of Food and
Veterinary Services
Foodstuffs,
Chemicals and Cosmetics Directorate
Malta
Standards Authority
Department of Health
Promotion and Disease Prevention
Department of Plant Health
European
Commission Food Safety webpage
Rapid Alert
System for Food and Feed
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All correspondence should be addressed to:
The
Acting Secretary,
MHI's
Office, 37 - 39 Rue D'Argens, Msida
Tel.:
+356 21324093, +356 21332225
Fax:
+356 21344767
email:
foodsafety.commission@gov.mt |
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