site.btaMEPs Call for Greater Clarity in Labelling of Food Additives

MEPs, including Emil Radev (GERB/European People's Party) call for greater clarity in the labelling of food additives, GERB’s press centre reported on Wednesday. Radev said a written question has already been submitted to the European Commission asking whether indicating E-numbers could be made mandatory in order to ensure greater transparency for consumers.

For people with allergies or heightened sensitivities, choosing appropriate foods, beverages, medicines and cosmetics is often difficult and can sometimes even pose a health risk, the MEPs argue in their reasoning.

Currently, EU legislation requires food additives to be listed among ingredients by their functional class, followed by their specific name or E-number. However, indicating the E-number is not mandatory in all cases.

In addition, there is no legal requirement in the EU to indicate the origin of raw materials. This means that if cellulose is used, the label does not necessarily have to specify whether it is derived from wood, cotton, or bamboo, the MEPs point out.

They also ask whether the European Commission plans to examine the need to make it mandatory to indicate the origin of raw materials for certain additives. According to the MEPs, the lack of full information on whether the ingredients used are plant-, mineral-, or animal-based may pose a potential risk to people with allergies or hypersensitivities.