Brussels, 30 November 2005

The Standing Committee met on 30 November 2005 to assess the situation with respect to the presence of isopropylthioxanthone (ITX) in milk for babies and other products.

1.      Recent notifications under the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) have shown the migration of ITX from packaging of milk for babies.

2.      At the request of the European Commission, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is carrying out a risk assessment on ITX. EFSA will provide preliminary advice on 7 December 2005 and expects to deliver its final opinion on ITX no later than March 2006.

3.      On 24 November 2005 EFSA has issued a press statement indicating that “on the basis of the very limited data available today, the presence of ITX in food could be considered undesirable but it is not likely to present a health risk at the levels reported”.

4.      On the basis of the knowledge available today, the Standing Committee agreed that there is no need to take any measures at EU level such as withdrawal of the concerned products from the market.

5.       The Standing Committee took note that Tetra Pak has ceased to use ITX in packaging for baby milk at the end of September 2005. It also took note of the commitment of Tetra Pak to cease to use ITX in packaging for fatty products by the end of December 2005 and for other concerned products by the end of January 2006.

6.      The European Commission will continue to raise awareness of industry at EU level with respect to their responsibilities of ensuring that the food they produce is safe in all Member States. Member States will do the same at national level.

7.      The European Commission and Member States will re-evaluate the situation in the light of the forthcoming EFSA advice and will evaluate whether there is a need for any harmonized measures at EU level.