(1)

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

(2)

Only food additives included in the Union list in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 may be placed on the market as such and used in foods under the conditions of use specified therein.

(3)

Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 (3) lays down specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.

(4)

The Union list and the specifications may be updated in accordance with the common procedure referred to in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008, either on the initiative of the Commission or following an application.

(5)

On 21 October 2016 an application was submitted for the authorisation of the use of low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose (L-HPC) as a food additive in food supplements in tablet form falling under the food category 17.1 ‘Food supplements supplied in a solid form’ in Part E of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. The application was subsequently made available to the Member States pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008.

(6)

The European Food Safety Authority evaluated the safety of L-HPC as a food additive and in its opinion (4) of 20 January 2018 concluded that there was no safety concern from the proposed use in food supplements in solid form (tablet), at a maximum use level of 20 000 mg/kg and a typical use level of 10 000 mg/kg.

(7)

Low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose (L-HPC) is water insoluble cellulose that facilitates the manufacturing of solid food supplements in tablet form due to its good compressibility and binding properties. Being insoluble in water, it absorbs water while increasing in volume. The increased volume makes the tablet disintegrating rapidly providing a fast release of the nutrients in the stomach.

(8)

It is therefore appropriate to include low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose (L-HPC) in the Union list of food additives and to assign E 463a as E-number to that additive to enable its authorisation as a glazing agent in food supplements in solid form (tablet) at a maximum use level of 20 000 mg/kg.

(9)

The specifications for low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose (L-HPC) (E 463a) should be included in Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 when it is included in the Union list of food additives laid down in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 for the first time.

(10)

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

(11)

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