Call for data for the re-evaluation of gluconic acid (E 574) and related food additives (E 575-579)

Re-evaluation of gluconic acid (E 574) and related food additives (e 575-579)

These food additives were already included in a previous call for data published by EFSA in 2012^[3].

Submission of use level data

Data on uses and use levels in food were also already collected by EFSA by means of a “Call for food additives usage level and/or concentration data in food and beverages intended for human consumption (Batch 5)”^[4] published in 2016 and closed in 2017.

Individual food manufacturers and food manufacturer associations are invited to submit data on use levels of food additives in food and beverages for human consumption for the food additives listed above. In order to streamline the data collection exercise, food manufacturers are invited to liaise with the relevant food manufacturer associations for the data submission. In particular, data providers shall ensure that the same data are not sent several times to EFSA (e.g. by both the food manufacturer and also by the association to which the food manufacturer belongs to).

If an interested party has information that a food additive is not used for one or several food categories, this information is highly relevant for EFSA. Such information will be cross-checked with information sent by all interested parties.

Data providers should be aware that EFSA may need to contact them once the initial submission is received. The aim is to clarify foods not well characterised/identified or to check any possible mistakes (e.g. on MPLs) or not plausible data (e.g. on reported levels, proposed dilution factors). Replies to these requests are strongly encouraged as EFSA reserves the right to discard these data if feedback is not received.

Data submission of use levels of approved food additives in food and beverages intended for human consumption should be reported in the template developed for this purpose (MS Excel AddUseLevTemplate.xlsm). This format is structured in accordance with the Guidance on Standard Sample Description [1] (SSD Guidance) and includes features that support manual data entry.

• To submit use level data please download the zip file 'ADD_use_data_submission.zip', which also contains a technical guidance on the use of the reporting template (‘Guidance on using addUseLevTemplate.pdf’). Please follow the instructions described in the first work sheet of the Template, and more extensively within the technical guidance for the correct use of the reporting format to avoid compromising its functionalities.

Should you need any support in filling in the reporting format, please contact data.collection [at] efsa.europa.eu (data[dot]collection[at]efsa[dot]europa[dot]eu)

Use levels datasets should be saved and submitted directly to EFSA using the dedicated e-mail address for this service: data.collection [at] efsa.europa.eu (data[dot]collection[at]efsa[dot]europa[dot]eu)

The documentation needed to support the data collection on food additive use levels is summarised below:

ADD_use_data_submission.zip including the following files:

• MS Excel^® AddUseLevTemplate.xlsm
• Guidance on using addUseLevTemplate.pdf
• Annex Food Category Description

Data on uses and use levels in food were also already collected by EFSA by means of a “Call for food additives usage level and/or concentration data in food and beverages intended for human consumption (Batch 5)”^[4] published in 2016 and closed in 2017.

Interested parties that have already submitted information in response to the above calls do not need to reply again to the present call, unless they can contribute with additional information not previously provided to EFSA.