EU Amends Food Labeling Regulation Concerning Definition of Engineered Nanomaterials

The December 19, 2013, Office Journal of the European Union includes an amendment to Regulation 1169/2011 concerning the provision of food information to consumers as regards the definition of engineered nanomaterials. Under the regulation, all ingredients present in the form of engineered nanomaterials must be indicated in the list of ingredients. The names of such ingredients must be followed by the word “nano” in brackets. The amendment defines engineered nanomaterials as “any intentionally manufactured material, containing particles, in an unbound state or as an aggregate or as an agglomerate and where, for 50 % or more of the particles in the number size distribution, one or more external dimensions is in the size range 1 nm to 100 nm.” Under the amendment, food additives covered by the definition “shall not be considered as engineered nanomaterials, if they have been included in the Union lists” as established by Commission Regulations (EU) No 1129/2011 and (EU) No 1130/2011. Fullerenes, graphene flakes, and single wall carbon nanotubes with one or more external dimensions below one nanometer “shall be considered as engineered nanomaterials.” “Intentionally manufactured” is defined as “the material is manufactured to perform/fulfil a specific function or purpose.”