Additives and processing aids.
Please excuse the delay; catching up with my e-mail.
Ref. the query and messages on cuttlefish whiteners and peroxide as a
bleaching agent. Peroxide for bleaching should be considered more as a
processing aid than an additive. The regulations for use of these in the EU
are contained in EU Council Directive of 20 February 1995 on food additives
other than colours and sweeteners, 95/2/EC and peroxide is not included as
either an additive or a processing aid. This last sentence also replies to
Nyugen's message of 22 March. The Directive is published in the Official
Journal of the European Communities, L 61/1_40 18_3_95. There is probably an
EU office in Vietnam which could provide a copy of the Directive.
Ted Brillantes asked about concerns relating to the use of peroxides. Many
years ago there was a suspicion that strong oxidising agents such as
peroxides could oxidise sulphur containing amino acids in meats to toxic
derivatives. I can not recall any details about this, nor can I find any,
and I can not recall if it was a possibility or if there was evidence.
Peroxide was investigated in the UK as a decolouriser for fish flesh
recovered from backbones, but was rejected on these grounds. Now that the
FDA considers peroxide as GRAS perhaps the hazard does not exist in practice
or the risk of harm is low.
Peter Howgate
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Mar 25 2004 - 09:02:07 PST