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Food additives, flavours and enzymes: new operative procedures for EFSA authorisations

Food additives, flavours and enzymes are three categories of substances entering and playing a crucial role in the manufacturing chain of foods.

The European Commission and EFSA continuously confront the industry need to develop manufacturing cycles that are more profitable thanks to the use of new food additivesflavours and enzymes. The development of new substances to be used in manufacturing aims to meet the food market trends: a market that is now extremely competitive and differentiated based on a growing consumer’s awareness.

In this context, companies can create important opportunities, in accordance to the regulations’ prescriptions and incentives, to establish themselves in innovative, profitable and sustainable market areas.

Enzymes

Enzymes are proteins that can be isolated from plants, animals or microorganisms, carrying out in nature the function of accelerating chemical reactions that, without them, would take much longer to be completed. They are usually purified, but they can contain traces of other components naturally present in the starting organisms.

For centuries, enzymes have been used unknowingly in food production, as is the case of alcoholic and lactic fermentation. Today, they are usually added to perform a technological function in the manufacturing, handling and processing of foods; such examples can be found in the baking industry, as well as in the manufacturing of fruit juices, wine, beer and cheese.

In food manufacturing, enzymes present a series of benefits: they can be used as alternatives to traditional chemical technologies, and can replace synthesis chemical products in many processes.

The use of food enzymes can increase the process environmental performance, with lower energy consumption, and it is more advantageous in terms of biodegradability and circle economy.

Moreover, enzymes’ action is more specific than synthesis chemicals products’. Therefore, enzyme-based processes have less side reactions and waste products, and generate high-quality purified products.

Food additives and flavours

Differently from enzymes, flavours are used to provide products with a specific taste and/or smell. The safety of their use in a wide range of products, from confectionary to drinks, from sweets to food supplements, has been established since long ago, and they are used in average small quantities in order to keep consumers’ exposure at low levels.

Conversely, food additives are a chemically heterogeneous group of substances that are intentionally added to foods to carry out specific technological functions for manufacturing, processing, handling, packaging, transport or storage.

In the EU, all additives are identified by an E-number and must always be included in the list of ingredients of the foods they are used into.

Product labels must identify the function of the additive in the finished food (i.e. colourant, preservative etc.) as well as the specific substance with reference to the appropriate E-number or with its name.

Enzymes, flavours and additives can be subject to a series of provisions and use limitations. This is why some manufacturing chains cannot benefit from some groups of substances.

Food business operators or other stakeholder can, however, apply for a marketing authorisation of a new enzyme, flavour or food additive or for the possibility to extend the use of an already authorised substance.

Regulation (EC) no. 1331/2008 is the norm instituting a harmonised authorisation procedure for these three groups of substances. The recent European legislation in force as of 27 March 2021, also known as Transparency Regulation (Regulation EU 1381/2019), has introduced important changes regarding EFSA operational pathways, with special reference to the transparency and sustainability of the food chain risks in the EU.

Therefore, the entering into force of the Regulation has introduced new services, processes and requirements throughout the authorisation application involving, among others, food business operators, including small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Written by: Francesco Di Gianni

Foto di silviarita da Pixabay