(fra kommisjonsforordningen)

(1) Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 lays down a Union list of food additives approved for use in foods and their conditions of use. 

(1) Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/20123 lays down specifications for food additives that are listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. 

(2) Pursuant to Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008, the Union list of food additives and specifications for food additives may be updated either on the initiative of the Commission or following an application from a Member State or an interested party. 

(3) In September 2016, an application was submitted to the Commission for the authorisation of use of curdlan as a gelling agent, firming agent, stabiliser and thickener in a broad variety of food categories. The application was subsequently made available to Member States pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008. 

(4) Curdlan is a high molecular weight linear polysaccharide with thermal gelling properties, produced by fermentation from Rhizobium radiobacter biovar 1 strain NTK-u. It forms irreversible ‘high-set’ gels upon heating in aqueous suspension at temperatures above 80°C and reversible ‘low-set’ gels, when heated in aqueous suspension at temperatures from 55°C to 65°C and then cooled at ≤ 40°C. Curdlan is intended for use as a firming agent, gelling agent, stabiliser and thickener in a broad variety of foods to improve their textural properties, water-holding capacity and thermal stability, such as noodles, dumplings, processed meat products, fish pastes, cakes, sauces, soups, processed tofu and snacks. 

(5) In the opinion published on 9 September 2024, the European Food Safety Authority (‘the Authority’) evaluated the safety of the proposed use of curdlan as a food additive. Despite the limitations noted in the dataset, the Authority was able to assess the safety by applying the margin of exposure (MOE) approach and concluded that there is no safety concern for the use of curdlan as a food additive at the proposed uses and use levels. 

(6) It is therefore appropriate to authorise the use of curdlan as a food additive and to assign E 424 as the E-number to that additive. 

(7) The specifications for curdlan (E 424) should therefore be included in the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 231/2012, as this additive is included in the Union list of food additives laid down in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 for the first time. 

(8) Regulations (EC) No 1333/2008 and (EU) No 231/2012 should therefore be amended accordingly. 

(9) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,