Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations, which apply in relation to England only, make provision for the execution and enforcement of Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods (OJ No. L404, 30.12.2006, p.26), “the EC Regulation”.

The Regulations —

(a)

specify the enforcement authorities (regulation 3);

(b)

provide that, subject where relevant to the transitional arrangements specified in the EC Regulation, it is an offence —

(i)

to fortify foods with vitamins or minerals other than those permitted by the EC Regulation and in the forms specified therein;

(ii)

to add vitamins or minerals to certain specified foods;

(iii)

to fail to adhere to the relevant purity criteria in the manufacture of vitamin formulations or mineral substances;

(iv)

to add a vitamin or mineral to foods in less than a significant amount, as that term is defined in Community legislation; and

(v)

to fail to comply with certain requirements for the labelling and presentation of foods to which vitamins or minerals have been added (regulation 4);

(c)

apply various provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990 for the purposes of these Regulations (regulation 5); and

(d)

provide that, subject to certain limitations, it is an offence to obstruct, fail to give information to or intentionally mislead anyone executing and enforcing these Regulations (regulation 6).

A full regulatory impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business has been prepared and placed in the library of each of the Houses of Parliament. Copies may be obtained from the Nutrition Division of the Food Standards Agency, Aviation House, 125 Kingsway, London WC 2B 6NH.