Communication from the Commission on Foods and Food Ingredients Authorised for Treatment with Ionising Radiation in the Community

Only a single food category is listed on the EU wide positive list for irradiation treatment: ‘dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings’. A requirement was introduced in Directive 1999/2/EC that the Commission should forward a proposal by 31 December 2000 to complete this Community positive list of foodstuffs authorised for irradiation, to be adopted through the co-decision procedure. Meanwhile, Member States can maintain existing national authorisations for irradiation of certain foodstuffs and can continue to apply existing national restrictions or bans in compliance with the Treaty.