EU Commission amends regulations for production, labelling of certain ORGANIC food products
The Commission of the European Union (EU) has issued an Implementing Regulation that modifies specific aspects of the EU's long-standing regulation on organic production and the labelling of organic food products.
As published in late-October in the Official Journal of the European Union, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1584 amends EU Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 in a number of areas. The changes are intended to resolve discrepancies introduced through other EU regulations applicable to organic foods, and to clarify areas that might have been subject to varying interpretations. The issues addressed in the amended version of 2018/1584 include the following:
- Permitting the extended use of cholesterol-supplemented feed for shrimp and prawns in their earlier life stages;
- Where permitted under relevant legislation, allowing the use of minerals (including trace elements), vitamins, amino acids and micronutrients in organic infant formulas, and processed organic cereal-based foods and baby foods;
- Extending until the end of 2020 regulations allowing the use of non-organically reared pullets for egg production in cases where organic alternatives are not available;
- Due to insufficient production of organic alternatives, extending until the end of 2020 regulations allowing a maximum of 5 percent of non-organic protein feed for porcine and poultry species;
- Consistent with findings of the EU’s Expert Group for Technical Advice on Organic Production (EGTOP), permitting the use of industrial lime from sugar production and xylite as fertilizers in the production of organic food crops, and permitting the use of garlic extract, cortex and sodium hydrogen carbonate as ingredients in plant protection products,
- Also consistent with EGTOP findings, permitting the use of sodium hydroxide as a cleaning and disinfecting agent in connection with organic beekeeping operations;
- Finally, consistent with EGTOP findings, permitting the use of various forms of yeast and yeast extracts, as well as potato proteins, in organic production operations in the wine sector.
The complete text of the EU Commission’s Implementing Regulation amending production and labelling requirements applicable to certain organic food products is available at the Eur-Lex website.
