Sugar for Human Consumption Regulations, 2004

L.N. 214 of 2004

FOOD SAFETY ACT

(CAP. 449)

Sugar for Human Consumption Regulations, 2004

IN exercise of the powers conferred by article 10 of the Food Safety

Act, the Minister of Health, the Elderly and Community Care has made

the following regulations>-

The title of these regulations is the Sugar for Human

Citation and coming

Consumption Regulations, 2004.

1.1 These regulations implement the provisions of Council

Directive 2001#111#EEC relating to certain sugars intended for human

consumption.

A. PRODUCT NAMES AND DEFINITIONS

1. Semi-white sugar

Purified and crystallised sucrose of sound and fair marketable quality with the

following characteristics>

(a) polarisation not less than 99,5 °Z

(b) invert sugar content not more than 0,1 % by weight

(c) loss on drying not more than 0,1 % by weight.

2. Sugar or white sugar

Purified and crystallised sucrose of sound and fair marketable quality with the

following characteristics

(a) polarisation not less than 99,7 °Z

(b) invert sugar content not more than 0,04 % by weight

(c) loss on drying not more than 0,06 % by weight

(d) type of colour not more than nine points determined in accordance with

point (a) of Part B.

3. Extra-white sugar

The product having the characteristics referred to in point 2(a), (b) and (c) and in

respect of which the total number of points determined according to the provisions of

Part B does not exceed eight, and not more than

— four for the colour type,

— six for the ash content,

— three for the colour in solution.

These regulations shall come into force on 1 st May, 2004

provided that>

2.1 products falling within the scope of these regulations which

do not conform with these regulations but which conform with the

provisions of the Sugars for Human Consumption Order (L.N. 77 of

1999), may be placed on the market until the 12 th July, 2004<

2.2 products falling within the scope of these regulations which

do not conform with these regulations but which conform with the

provisions of the Sugars for Human Consumption Order (L.N. 77 of

1999), and which were labelled before the 12 th July, 2004, may continue

to be marketed until stocks are exhausted.

1 These regulations shall apply to the products defined in Part

A of the Schedule. However, these regulations shall not apply to the

products defined in Part A of the Schedule when they take the following

forms: icing sugars, candy sugars, sugars in loaf form.

3.2 The Labelling, Presentation and Advertising of Foodstuffs

Regulations, 2002 shall apply to the products defined in Part A of the

Schedule subject to the following conditions and derogations>

3.2.1 Without prejudice to subparagraph 3.2.5 below, the product

names listed in Part A of the Schedule shall apply only to the products

referred to therein and shall be used in trade to designate them. The

product name referred to in point 2 of Part A of the Schedule may also

be used to designate the product referred to in point 3 thereof. However,

– the products defined in Part A of the Schedule may, in addition

to the compulsory product name, also bear qualifying terms commonly

used<

– the product names may also be used in product names made

up to designate other products, in accordance with custom,

provided that such names are not liable to mislead the consumer.

2.2.2 For pre-packaged products weighing less than 20 g,

the net weight need not be indicated on the labelling.

3.2.3 The labelling shall indicate the dry matter and invert

sugar content of sugar solution, invert sugar solution and invert

sugar syrup.

3.2.4 The labelling shall include the qualifying term

‘crystallised’ for invert sugar syrup incorporating crystals in the

solution.

3.2.5 Where the products referred to in points 7 and 8 of

Part A of the Schedule contain fructose in proportions greater than

5 % on a dry matter basis, they shall, in respect of their product

name and as ingredients, be labelled as ‘glucosefructose syrup’ or

‘fructose-glucose syrup’ and ‘dried glucose-fructose syrup’ or

‘dried fructose-glucose syrup’, respectively, to reflect whether the

glucose component or the fructose component is in greater

proportion.

Sugar solution ( 1 )

The aqueous solution of sucrose with the following characteristics

(a) dry matter not less than 62 % by weight

(b) invert sugar content (ratio of fructose to dextrose: 1,0 ± 0,2) not more than

3 % by weight of dry matter

(c) conductivity ash not more than 0,1 % by weight of dry matter, determined

in accordance with point (b) of Part B

(d) colour in solution not more than 45 ICUMSA units.

Invert sugar solution ( 1 )

The aqueous solution of sucrose partially inverted by hydrolysis, in which the

proportion of invert sugar does not predominate, with the following characteristics

(a) dry matter not less than 62 % by weight

(b) invert sugar content ratio of fructose to dextrose (1,0 ± 0,1) more than 3 %

but not more than 50 % by weight of dry matter

(c) conductivity ash not more than 0,4 % by weight of dry matter, determined

in accordance with point (b) of Part B.

Invert sugar syrup ( 1 )

The aqueous solution, which has possibly been crystallised, of sucrose that has

been partly inverted via hydrolysis, in which the invert sugar content (fructose#dextrose

quotient 1,0 ± 0,1), must exceed 50 % by weight of dry matter, but which must otherwise

meet the requirements laid down in point 5(a) and (c).

Glucose syrup

The purified and concentrated aqueous solution of nutritive saccharides obtained

from starch and#or inulin, with the following characteristics>

(a) dry matter not less than 70 % by weight

(b) dextrose equivalent not less than 20 % by weight of dry matter and expressed

as D-glucose

(c)

sulphated ash not more than 1 % by weight of dry matter.

Dried glucose syrup

Partially dried glucose syrup with at least 93 % by weight of dry matter, but

which must otherwise meet the requirements laid down in point 7(b) and (c).

Dextrose or dextrose monohydrate

Purified and crystallised D-glucose containing one molecule of water of

crystallisation, with the following characteristics>

(a) dextrose (D-glucose) not less than 99,5 % by weight of dry matter

(b) dry matter not less than 90 % by weight

(c) sulphated ash not more than 0,25 % by weight of dry matter.

Dextrose or dextrose anhydrous

Purified and crystallised D-glucose not containing water of crystallisation, with

at least 98 % by weight of dry matter, but which must otherwise meet the requirements

laid down in point 9(a) and (c).

Fructose

Purified crystallised D-fructose with the following characteristics>

fructose content 98 % minimum

glucose content 0,5 % maximum

loss on drying not more than 0,5 % by weight

conductivity ash not more than 0,1 % by weight determined in accordance with

point (b) of Part B.

The description ‘white’ is reserved for>

(a) sugar solution where the colour in solution does not exceed 25 ICUMSA units determined in

accordance with the method specified in point (c) of Part B<

(b) invert sugar solution and invert sugar syrup of which>

—

the conductivity ash content does not exceed 0,1 %,

—

the colour in solution does not exceed 25 ICUMSA units determined in accordance with

the method specified in point (c) of Part B.

B

B. METHOD OF DETERMINING THE COLOUR TYPE, CONDUCTIVITY

ASH CONTENT AND THE COLOUR IN SOLUTION OF SUGAR (WHITE) AND

OF EXTRA-WHITE SUGAR DEFINED IN POINTS 2 AND 3 OF PART A

‘Point’ corresponds>

(a) in the case of the colour type, to 0,5 units, calculated by the method of the

Brunswick Institute for Agricultural and Sugar Industry Technology, as set out in

Chapter A, paragraph 2, of the Annex to Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1265#69

of 1 July 1969 establishing methods for determining the quality of sugar bought in by

intervention agencies ( 2 )<

(b) in the case of ash content, to 0,0018 % calculated by the method of the

International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA) as set

out in Chapter A, paragraph 1, of the Annex to Regulation (EEC) No 1265#69<

(c) in the case of the colour in solution, to 7,5 units calculated by the ICUMSA

method as set out in Chapter A, paragraph 3, of the Annex to Regulation (EEC) No

1265#69.

OJ L 163, 1.7.1969, p. 1.

Mitbug[ fl-Istamperija tal-Gvern — Printed at the Government Printing Press