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Parliamentary question - P-004203/2020(ASW)Parliamentary question
P-004203/2020(ASW)

Answer given by Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

The European Food Safety Authority concluded in its scientific opinion[1] that certain hydroxyanthracene derivatives (HAD), namely aloe-emodin, emodin and danthron, and plant preparations containing them, are genotoxic and cause cancer in the intestine. In line with this safety assessment, the Commission proposes to prohibit the use of these harmful substances in foods including food supplements, and the scope of this prohibition is not intended to cover their use for technological purposes as food additives, or in cosmetic products.

The Commission is aware that it is possible during manufacturing to remove HAD from the botanical extracts, but that impurities of these substances may be present. In this context, the Commission has asked the EU Reference Laboratory on mycotoxins and plant toxins for assistance in establishing a validated analytical method and its limit of quantification for HADs in botanical preparations of Aloe species.

Last updated: 17 August 2020
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