Changes to organic suitable flavourings in Europe

New regulations issued by the European Commission are changing the way flavourings can be used in organic food and beverage products. The new EC organic regulation 2018/848 will apply from 1st January 2022 and places restrictions on the types of natural flavourings permitted within organic products, which means in many cases manufacturers will need to reformulate in order to comply.

EC organic regulation 2018/848

The updated regulation on the use of flavourings within organic products states that in order to maintain organic status, only the following types of flavouring will be permitted from January 2021: Natural X flavouring – containing 95% of the source material referred to (95:5)

Which flavourings are permitted under
EC organic regulation 2018/848?

Diagrams_1

Natural Flavourings

  • Little or no source material
  • Natural flavouring or strawberry flavouring
Diagrams_2

Natural x Flavouring WONF

  • Source material present at <95% in flavouring components
  • Natural strawberry flavouring with other natural flavourings
Diagrams_3

Natural x Flavouring

  • >95% source material present in flavouring components
  • Natural strawberry flavouring

What is a natural x flavouring? 95:5

FTNS diagram-09 FTNS diagram-09 FTNS diagram-09

Natural x flavouring
(95:5) explained

From January 2021, the only flavourings permitted to be used within organic products will be natural named flavourings, otherwise known as 95:5 or natural x flavouring. This means that 95% of the flavouring components within the flavouring must come from the named source within the description (FTNS). For example, within a ‘natural strawberry flavouring’ at least 95% of the flavouring components providing the strawberry flavouring must come from strawberries. If present, the remaining 5% (maximum) comes from naturally derived substances and may be used to round off the flavour profile.

In the below example the flavouring component part of a natural strawberry flavouring totals around 11% of the final flavouring, with 89% made up by natural flavour carriers permitted by the EU and a local accreditation body (e.g. Soil Association) for use within flavourings.

Regulatory support

Synergy are working closely with the UK Flavour Association (UKFA), European Flavour Association (EFFA) and The Soil Association to keep fully informed of any amendments to legislation or any important considerations for the flavour industry. Through membership of the UK Flavour Association (UKFA) Synergy have been in regular attendance of technical committee meetings in order to ensure correct interpretation of EC organic regulation 2018/848 and raise concerns about the technical challenges of meeting these requirements. We are committed to working collaboratively with all key stakeholders to ensure we can provide the most accurate and up to date information on the organic flavouring legislation coming into force in 2021. Our collaborative approach allows us to work closely across regulatory, flavour creation and application to provide our customers with the support they need to be ready for these significant changes coming into force in January 2021.

If you have any questions regarding the new organic flavouring regulations and how these might affect your product range, please contact our expert regulatory team: UK.quality@synergytaste.com

Organic Suitable Flavours

If you would like to find out more about our current organic flavour range, please contact your account manager or our business development team on UK.marketing@synergytaste.com

Organic_Raspberries Raspberry
Organic_Mango Mango
Organic_Apricots Apricot
Organic_Vanilla Vanilla
Organic_Strawberries Strawberry
Organic_Pineapple Pineapple
Organic_Apple Apple
Organic_Citrus Citrus
Organic_Blueberries Blueberry
Organic_Peaches Peach
Organic_Pears Pear
Organic_Herbs Botanicals

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