Phospholipids, flavors, lemon yellow, calcium propionate, sucralose ... Take you to the secrets of food additives

With the rapid development of the food industry, food additives have also developed rapidly and have become an indispensable part of today's food industry. At present, the global food additives have reached more than 25,000 kinds, and there are more than 2,000 kinds of food additives allowed in China, of which 1870 kinds of food spices are used. In the face of a wide variety of foods, how consumers quickly understand the relevant information of food additives in food, the ingredient list in the food label has become a direct basis for consumer traceability. Now we combine GB7718-2011 "General Rules for Prepackaged Food Labeling of National Food Safety Standards" and GB2760-2014 "National Standards for Food Safety Food Additives Use Standards" to understand the labeling provisions of food additives in food ingredients.

Definition of food additives

First of all, let's understand the definition of food additives, GB 2760-2014 "Food Safety National Standards for the Use of Food Additives Standards" stipulates: Food additives are synthetic or natural substances added to food for improving food quality and color, aroma, taste, and for the needs of preservative, freshness and processing technology. Flavors for food, base substances in gum-based confectionery, and processing aids for the food industry are also included.

Food additive categories

At present, in GB 2760-2014 "Food Safety National Standard Food Additive Use Standards" food additives are divided into 22 categories, namely acidity regulators, anti-caking agents, defoamers, antioxidants, bleaching agents, leavening agents, glue-based candies in the base agent substances, colorants, coloring agents, emulsifiers, enzyme preparations, flavor enhancers, flour treatment agents, coating agents, moisture retention agents, preservatives, stabilizers and coagulants, sweeteners, thickeners, food flavors, processing aids for the food industry, and so on.

Labeling of food additives

GB7718-2011 "General Principles for Labeling Prepackaged Food of National Standards for Food Safety" 4.1.3.1.4 stipulates that food additives should be marked with the generic name of food additives in GB 2760. The generic name of the food additive can be marked as the specific name of the food additive, or it can be marked as the functional category name of the food additive and the specific name or international code (INS number) of the food additive. On the label of the same prepackaged food, one of the forms labeled food additives in Appendix B of GB2760 should be selected.

For example: food additives "calcium propionate", "potassium sorbate", "sucralose" can be marked as: 1. calcium propionate, potassium sorbate, sucralose; 2. preservatives (282, 202), sweeteners (955); 3. preservatives (calcium propionate, potassium sorbate), sweeteners (sucralose).

When using the form of simultaneous labeling of the functional category name and international code of the food additive, if a food additive does not yet exist a corresponding international code, or due to the need for labeling of allergenic substances, its specific name can be marked.

The name of the food additive does not include its preparation method. Food additives contained in compound ingredients with an amount of less than 25% of the total amount of food, if they meet the principle of bringing in GB 2760 and do not play a process role in the final product, do not need to be labeled. However, food additives in composite ingredients that play a process role in the final product should be marked. The recommended labeling method is to add parentheses after the name of the compound ingredient and indicate the generic name of the food additive in parentheses, such as "soy sauce (containing caramel color)".

Is it necessary to establish a food additive item?

The ingredient list shall truthfully indicate the food additives used in the product, but shall not require the establishment of "food additive items". Food production and trading enterprises shall choose any form of labeling in Appendix B. When establishing food additive items, the food additives used directly should be marked in the food additive items. The base agent substances in nutritional enhancers, flavors and fragrances, and gum-based confectionery can be marked outside the food additives column of the ingredient list. Food additives that are not used directly are not marked in the food additives category. The order in which food additive items are labeled in the ingredient list is determined by the total weight of the various food additives to be included in the item. For example:

1. All the specific names of food additives are marked

Ingredients: wheat flour, water, margarine, eggs, chocolate (cocoa mass, white sugar, cocoa butter, phospholipids, polyglyceryl ricinol, flavor, lemon yellow), food additives (calcium propionate, sucralose), food flavors.

2. All functional category names and international codes of food additives are marked

Ingredients: wheat flour, water, margarine, eggs, chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier (322, 476), flavors, colorants (102)), food additives (preservatives (282), sweeteners (955)), flavors for food.

3. All functional category names and specific names of food additives are marked

Ingredients: wheat flour, water, margarine, eggs, chocolate (cocoa mass, white sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier (phospholipids, polyglyceryl ricinol esters), flavors, colorants (lemon yellow)), food additives (preservatives (calcium propionate), sweeteners (sucralose)), flavors for food.

Generic names for food additives are indicated

Precautions

1, food additives may have one or more functions, the "Food Additives Use Standards" (GB2760) lists the main functions of food additives, for reference. Production and trading enterprises shall indicate the name of the functional category on the label according to the actual function of the food additive in the product.

2. If the "Standard for the Use of Food Additives" (GB2760) stipulates two or more names for a food additive, each name is an equivalent generic name. Take "acesulfame potassium (aka acesulfame potassium)" as an example, "acesulfame potassium" and "acesulfame potassium" are common names.

3. "Mono and diglyceride fatty acid esters (oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, palmitic acid, beemic acid, stearic acid, lauric acid)" can be marked as "mono and diglyceride fatty acid esters" or "mono and double glycerol stearate" or "mono stearate glycerides" according to the use of the use.

4. According to the labeling needs of food-sensitizing substances, the source description can be added before the generic name specified in the "Food Additives Use Standard" (GB2760). For example, "phospholipids" can be labeled as "soybean phospholipids".

5. According to the "Standard for the Use of Food Additives" (GB2760), aspartame should be labeled as "aspartame (including phenylalanine)".

It can be used as a food additive or food nutrition enhancer as well as an ingredient for use in other ingredients

Ingredients that can be used as both food additives or food nutrition enhancers and other ingredients should be labeled according to the norms of their role in the final product. When used as a food additive, it should be marked with the name specified in the "Standard for the Use of Food Additives" (GB2760); when used as a food nutrition enhancer, it should be marked with the name specified in the "Standard for the Use of Food Nutrition Enhancer" (GB14880); when it plays a role as other ingredients, it should be marked with its corresponding specific name.

Example 1: Monosodium glutamate (sodium glutamate) can be used as both a condiment and as a food additive, when used as a food additive, it should be labeled as sodium glutamate, and when used as a condiment, it should be labeled as monosodium glutamate.

Example 2: Riboflavin, vitamin E, polydextrose, etc. can be used as both a food additive and a food nutrition enhancer, when used as a food additive, it should be marked with the name specified in the "Food Additive Use Standard" (GB2760); when used as a food nutrition enhancer, it should be marked with the name specified in the "Food Nutrition Enhancer Use Standard" (GB14880).

Indication of other situations

1. When the excipients contained in food additives do not play a functional role in the final product, they do not need to be marked in the ingredient list.

2. Processing aids do not need to be labeled.

3. If the enzyme preparation has lost its enzymatic activity in the final product, it does not need to be marked; if the enzyme activity is still maintained in the final product, it should be arranged in the corresponding position of the ingredient list in accordance with the relevant provisions of the food ingredient list and the amount of enzyme preparation added when manufacturing or processing food.