This opinion concerns the reassessment of wood rosin glycerides (GEWR, E 445) for use as a food additive.

GEWR (E 445) is authorized as a food additive in the European Union (EU) according to Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1333/20081 on food additives and specific purity criteria are defined in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012.2

According to Council Regulation (EU) No 231/1012 and JECFA Specification (2006), GEWR (E 445) is a complex mixture of "triglycerides and diglycerides of resinates" obtained from wood rosin, aged by solvent extraction The pine stumps are then subjected to a liquid-liquid solvent refining process. The definition of additive excludes substances derived from rosin, an exudate of live pine trees, and substances derived from tall oil rosin, a by-product of kraft (paper) pulp processing. Raw material 3 Wood rosin consists of approximately 90% resin acids and 10% neutral substances (non-acidic compounds). Its resin acid part is a complex mixture of isomeric diterpene monocarboxylic acids, and its empirical molecular formula is C20H30O2, mainly abietic acid. Esterification products are purified by stripping or countercurrent steam distillation.

The most recent JECFA definition of GEWR (E 455) (JECFA, 2013b) aligns with the EU definition, but further states that GEWR (i) contains a remnant of monoglycerides in addition to the above mentioned di- and triglycerides, (ii ) contains neutral matter (non-acidic saponifiable and unsaponifiable matter) and residual free resin acids, and (iii) is derived entirely from two species: swamp pine (Pinus longleaf) and slash pine (Pinus slashi).

According to sources, wood ester of rosin is obtained either from P. palustris (long leaf pine) and P. elliottii (slash pine) stumps (document provided to EFSA N. 2) or from Pinus halepensis and Pinus brutia stumps (provided document) European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) N.17).

The panel noted that the EC directive does not define raw materials by their proprietary botanical origin and that food additive E 455 obtained from other botanical sources may also be placed on the EU market if they comply with the current directive.

The panel noted that the current assessment is based on the results of toxicological studies on GEWR from P. palustris (longleaf pine) and P. elliottii (slash pine).