Food additives and flavourings, the results of the Control Plan

The Ministry of Health has published the Control Plan on Food Additives (AA) and Food Flavorings (AR) which summarizes, processes and comments on the data emerging from the control plan.

The first part of the report , accompanied by numerous graphs and tables, reports the number of checks carried out through sampling and analysis, dividing them by sampling location, sampled matrix, determinations conducted and compliance outcomes. In 2022, mainly in the retail sales phase (81%), 1,862 food samples (out of the 920 envisaged by the Plan), on which 8,640 analyzes were conducted.

232 samples (out of the 225 expected) were taken equally at the place of production and marketing for the evaluation of the purity characteristics of the AA (773 analyzes conducted).

In this case, only 52% of the Regions and Autonomous Provinces respected the expected control frequencies (which has, however, significantly improved in recent years) probably due to the difficulty of finding pure AA in the area of competence.

The results of the checks are absolutely reassuring: out of 1,862 food samples, only 32 (1.7%) were found to be irregular , while no non-compliance with the purity criteria of the molecules used as AA was detected.

The irregularities clearly mainly concerned the use of molecules with a preservative action (sulphites, nitrites and nitrates, sorbic acid, benzoic acid and benzoates), followed by that of colourants, including non-permitted colourants, and sweeteners.

Fishing products (62.5%, due to the presence of sulphites and ascorbic acid not declared on the label or above the established limit) and meat and derived products (25.0%, mainly due to the presence of molecules with prohibited preservative activities) they are the most frequently found irregular food categories.

The sample size reflects the risk of non-compliance: 38.2% of the samples concerned meat and derived products, followed by fishery products (21.2%).

As for the ARs , due to problems related to the accreditation of the tests by the official laboratories, 49 samples were processed, all found to be compliant, both in terms of composition, including the maximum content of benzo(a)pyrene and benzo( a)anthracene in smoke flavours, both in terms of their use (22 samples of drinks, including some subjected to caffeine dosage).

Overall, therefore, the picture that emerges from the checks carried out in 2022 in the AA and AR sector indicates a condition of substantial compliance with the regulatory provisions by economic operators in the food sector, even if the improper use of sulphites which, in sensitive subjects, could cause even serious adverse reactions.

The punctuality in carrying out checks by some Regions still needs to be improved, while on the laboratory front, greater competence must be achieved with regards to flavor analyses. (Source: https://www.alimentibevande.it/ )