WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2138/97 by Hiltrud BREYER to the Council. Novel food regulation No 258/97 - Composition of the Food Committee
C 82/34 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 17. 3. 98 (98/C 82/50) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2138/97 by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Council (24 June 1997) Subject: Novel food regulation No 258/97 › Composition of the Food Committee 1. How will the public be represented on the EUís Food Committee? 2. Will representatives of national consumer and environmental organizations be involved in the Food Committeeís deliberative and decision-making procedures? 3. If so, how will the representatives be chosen? 4. Will consumer and environmental organizations be entitled to nominate persons? Answer (20 October 1997) Subject to any additional provisions in its rules of procedure, the composition of this Committee is declined by Decision 69/414/EEC setting it up. (98/C 82/51) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2140/97 by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Council (24 June 1997) Subject: Novel food regulation No 258/97 › Labelling requirements In accordance with the novel food regulation (1), will labelling of a genetically modified food be required only id there is both a difference in its nutritional characteristics, as compared with a product which has not been genetically modified, and if proof of the genetic modification is possible? (1) OJ L 43, 14. 2. 1997, p. 1. Answer (20 October 1997) In addition to the general requirements of Community legislation on labelling of foodstuffs, Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 258/97 concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients (1) lays down additional specific labelling requirements to inform the final consumer. Labels must inform the consumer, as appropriate of: › any characteristic or food property which renders a novel food or food ingredient no longer equivalent to an existing food or food ingredient. A novel food or food ingredient shall be deemed to be no longer equivalent if scientific assessment, based upon an appropriate analysis of existing data, can demonstrate that the characteristics assessed are different in comparison with a conventional food or food ingredient, having regard to the accepted limits of natural variations for such characteristics. › the presence in the novel food or food ingredient of material which is not present in an existing equivalent foodstuff and which may have implications for the health of certain sections of the population or give rise to ethical concerns;