Smoked aromas will be definitively banned after the Twenty-seven have this week supported the European Commission’s proposal not to renew their authorization. The veto affects eight substances that are used in the industry to give smoked flavor to foods such as salmon or other fish. After a phase-out period, its use will no longer be permitted in the EU.
The decision is based on scientific evaluations that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published last November. The agency then concluded that the genotoxicity of these artificial substances could not be ruled out. The EFSA opinion was based on an updated methodology, evaluating the latest available data.
Smoking is a method traditionally used to help preserve certain foods such as fish, meat and dairy. Smoked aromas, on the other hand, have no preservative function, but only affect the flavor.
A chemical is considered genotoxic when it has the ability to damage the genetic material of cells. When it happens, the risk of developing diseases such as cancer and other inherited pathologies increases significantly. For this reason, EFSA concluded that it was not possible to determine the safety level of the substances.
Its ban has been decided in a meeting between representatives of the Member States and the Commission within the framework of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, in which the EU countries have reached the majority necessary to support the proposal .
The next step is for the regulation to be formally adopted by the Commission in the coming weeks and to come into force later this spring. However, different progressive withdrawal periods are established to give producers and operators time to adapt to the new rules.
“In the case of aromas that are used to replace traditional smoking (for example, hams, fish, cheeses), the elimination period is five years. While for uses in which it is added to give more flavor (for example “for example, soups, chips, sauces), the elimination period will be 2 years,” the European Commission has reported.
