14. 5. 76 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 126/33 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 4 May 1976 amending for the second time Directive 65/66/EEC laying down specific criteria of purity for the preservatives authorized for use in foodstuffs intended for human consumption (76/463/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to Council Directive 64/54/EEC of 5 November 1963 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning the preservatives autho- rized for use in foodstuffs intended for human consumption (!), as last amended by Directive 76/462/EEC (), and in particular Article 8 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas Directive 65/66/EEC (?), as amended by Directive 67/428/EEC (%), laid down specific criteria of purity for the preservatives listed in the Annex to Directive 64/54/EEC ; whereas that Annex was supple- mented by Directive 71/160/EEC which added calcium sulphite to the list of authorized preservatives, by the Act of Accession which added methyl p-hydroxybenzoate and calcium bisulphite, by Direc- tive 74/62/EEC which added formic acid, sodium formate, calcium  formate and  hexamethy- lenetetramine, by Directive 74/394/EEC which added thiabendazole and Directive 76/462/EEC which added the sodium derivative of methyl p-hydroxybenzoate, potassium nitrite and potassium propionate ; Whereas it is necessary to lay down specific criteria of purity for the eleven preservatives mentioned above, HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: Article 1 The Annex to Directive 65/66/EEC shall be amended as follows : 1. The following specifications shall be inserted between Nos E 217 and E 220: E 218 p-bydroxybenzoate Appearance : Melting range : Content : Sulphated ash : Free acidity : Salicylic acid : Loss on drying : White, almost odourless, crystalline powder 125 to 128 °C Not less than 990 % expressed as CsHgOs after drying for two hours at 80 °C Not more than 005 % Not more than 0-7 % expressed as p-hydroxybenzoic acid Not more than 0-1 % Not more than 0-5 % after drying for two hours at 80 °C E 219 Sodium derivative of methyl p-bydroxybenzoate Appearance : Melting range of methyl ester: ) ) See page 31 of this Official Journal. %) OJ No 22, 9. 2. 1965, p. 373/65. ) White hygroscopic powder The white precipitate formed by acidifying with hydro- chloric acid a 10 % (w/v) aqueous solution of the sodium derivative of methyl p-hydroxybenzoate (using litmus paper as indicator) shall, when washed with water and dried at 80 °C for two hours, have a melting range of 12§ to 128°C.