Application of EU provisions on acrylamide to Frisian pepernoten (spiced cookies)
4.12.2023
Question for written answer E-003544/2023
to the Commission
Rule 138
Anja Haga (PPE)
Owing to more stringent European provisions on exposure to acrylamide, regional products such as Frisian pepernoten are likely to disappear from the shelves[1]. Frisian pepernoten are only sold regionally and for a limited period of time in the year. Of course, public health is important, but we also need to ensure that rules are proportionate and that local culture and local products are not unnecessarily hampered. I should, therefore, like to ask the following questions for clarification:
- 1.Why were the rules on acrylamide tightened recently, given that the relevant regulation only entered into force in 2018?
- 2.How do the risks associated with exposure to acrylamide relate to the importance of preserving local culture, including through the preparation of regional products, and the scale at which this takes place?
- 3.Is it possible to grant exemptions from the rules for defined periods and within certain parameters of scale?
Submitted: 4.12.2023
- [1] https://nos.nl/artikel/2500212-friese-pepernoten-in-gevaar-vanwege-strengere-eu-regels.
Last updated: 11 December 2023