PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL NUMBERING SYSTEM (Agenda Item 9)[14]

52. The Committee was informed that the 29^th CCFAC proposed that INS numbers 425 and 960 be assigned to Konjac Flour and Stevioside, respectively, for circulation and comment at step 3 (ALINORM 97/12A, paras. 41-43). No comments were received in response to CL 1997/6-FAC.

53. The Committee noted that Konjac Flour met the following criteria established at the 22nd CCFAC (ALINORM 91/12, para. 90) for the inclusion of a compound in the INS:

• The compound must be approved by a member country as a food additive;
• The compound must be toxicologically cleared for use by a member country, and;
• The compound must be required to be identified on the final product label by a member country.

54. The Committee forwarded INS numbers 425 and 960 for Konjac Flour and Stevioside, respectively, to the Commission for adoption at step 5, with a recommendation to omit steps 6 and 7. The delegation of Japan reserved its position on the assignment of an INS number to Konjac Flour, as they considered it a food.

55. At the request of the representative of CEFIC and in view of the non-controversial nature of the amendment, the Committee agreed to circulate INS numbers 938, 939 and 948 for Argon, Helium and Oxygen, respectively, at Step 3 of the Accelerated Procedure for comments, subject to confirmation by the Executive Committee. The amendments are attached to this report as Appendix IX.

56. The Committee agreed to request comments to update the technological functions and functional classes/sub-classes assigned to individual additives in the INS system. The Committee also agreed to request proposals for amendments to the INS for consideration at its next meeting.