In an article published on April 14, 2016 by news provider Natura Ingredients, journalist Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn informs about the European Commission’s (EC) intention to update the definition of engineered nanomaterial by September or October this year. This timeline was confirmed by Rafael Pérez Berbejal of the EC’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) at a stakeholder meeting of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Harrison-Dunn writes. The planned update concerns the general EC Recommendation on the definition of nanomaterial of 2011. Following this update, the EC intends to propose the harmonization of the nanomaterial definition in all sectoral legislations containing nano-specific provisions, such as the Cosmetics Products Regulation, the Novel Food Regulation, the Food Information to Consumers (FIC) Regulation, and the Biocidal Products Regulation. The updated definition is expected to maintain the requirement that 50% of particles in a number based particle size distribution fall into a specific range size, in order for a material to qualify as nanomaterial (FPF reported). This is in contrast to EFSA’s recommendation of 2012, suggesting a lower nanoparticle number threshold of 10% for food related applications.
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Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn (April 14, 2016). “EU nanomaterial definition expected this autumn, says Commission.” Natura Ingredients
European Commission (February 3, 2016). “Definition of a nanomaterial.”
