Foodstuffs treated with ionising radiation

SUMMARY OF:

Directive 1999/2/EC on the irradiation of foods and food ingredients

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?

It sets out the conditions for manufacturing, marketing, importing and compulsory labelling of foods treated with ionising radiation, a process used to reduce the number of pathogenic micro-organisms in food and to increase its shelf life.

KEY POINTS

Scope

The directive does not apply to:

foods exposed to ionising radiation from measuring or inspection devices, within specified limits;
foods which are prepared for patients requiring sterile diets under medical supervision.

The annex of Directive 1999/3/EC, an implementing directive, provides an initial list of foods that may be irradiated, i.e. dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings.

Authorisations and approved facilities

Foods may only be irradiated in facilities approved by EU countries’ authorities. Once facilities are approved, EU countries then provide a list of them to the European Commission. The Commission publishes the list of approved facilities.

Decision 2002/840/EC allows foods to be irradiated in non-EU countries and then to be imported into the EU, so long as they meet EU rules and are irradiated in an approved facility, as listed in the annex to the Decision.

Registration

Irradiation facilities must keep records for each source of ionising radiation showing the information specified (i.e. the nature and quantity of foodstuffs irradiated, data for control of the irradiation process, etc.).

These records must be kept for 5 years. Detailed rules on keeping the register are adopted by the Commission, assisted by the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF).

Application to place irradiated foods on the market

Irradiated foodstuffs may be placed on the EU market only if they comply with the directive, which specifies:

the conditions for authorising food irradiation (technological need, benefit to the consumer, etc.) and permissible purposes (to reduce the incidence of disease, rid foodstuffs of harmful organisms);
the foodstuffs must be in a wholesome state and irradiation must not be used to replace hygiene measures;
irradiation may be combined with other chemical treatment, but only if that treatment is for different purposes;
the sources of ionising radiation (gamma rays, X rays and electrons of certain characteristics);
the dosimetry (the determination of the overall average absorbed dose and procedures for measuring it). The directive also specifies that the maximum radiation dose for foodstuffs may be given in partial doses.

Labelling and packaging

The words ‘irradiated’ or ‘treated with ionising radiation’ must appear:

on the label or packaging;
on the documents which accompany irradiated foodstuffs or foodstuffs containing irradiated ingredients.

Products intended for sale to the final consumer must meet the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to be given to consumers.

Products not intended for sale to the final consumer must be marked to indicate that they have been irradiated and the name and address of the facility where this was carried out.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DIRECTIVE APPLY?

It has applied since 20 March 1999. EU countries had to incorporate it into national law by 20 September 2000 (rules to permit the marketing and use of irradiated foodstuffs) and 20 March 2001 (rules to prohibit the marketing and use of irradiated food not complying with this directive).

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

Food irradiation (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Directive 1999/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 February 1999 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning foods and food ingredients treated with ionising radiation (OJ L 66, 13.3.1999, pp. 16–23)

Successive amendments to Directive 1999/2/EC have been incorporated into the original document. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.