food

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ingredients
Food additives
– regulation in action
Since the Food Standards Agency was established in April 2000 its aim has been to be trusted
as the UK’s most reliable source of advice and information about food. We want to protect and
improve the safety of the food people eat, and to make it possible for people to choose a
healthy diet.
A key part of the Agency’s work is
to ensure the use of food
additives does not compromise
food safety or mislead consumers.
While overall additive legislation is
negotiated in Europe, the FSA has
responsibility for national
implementation in the UK.
Underpinning the Agency’s work
on food additives is its programme
of research and surveillance.
Developing the right tools
The Agency commissions scientific
research to help ensure that its
policies and advice are based on
the best available science. Its
research and surveillance
programmes on food additives aim
to support consumer protection by
providing the best possible
scientific evidence to ensure that
the use of food additives does not
prejudice food safety. The
research programme also aims to
develop and refine methods of
analysis that can be used during
enforcement and provide
information and advice.
Enforcing food additive legislation
and conducting surveillance
requires reliable methods for
detecting the levels of additives
used in foods.
The FSA currently has a project
looking at the possibility of using
DNA techniques to detect
different gelling additives. In the
past these additives have been
difficult to detect, as their
chemical structure is very similar.
However, they originate from
different plants, which have
different DNA. The Agency has
commissioned a project to look at
the feasibility of using these
techniques as a future
enforcement tool.
The Agency also commissions
research to refine and validate
existing methodology. For
example, the Agency is currently
looking at the extraction of colours
from high protein foods such as
Red 2G (E128) from burgers. This
has been problematic in the past
due to interactions between the
added colours and proteins in the
food.
Watching what we eat
Another main role is to ensure
that permitted additive levels do
not compromise food safety. To
meet these requirements the
Agency has a programme of
surveillance looking at the usage
of additives in foods. The Agency
is able to use the information
gathered from surveys to ensure
manufacturers are complying with
maximum permitted levels and to
refine information on the levels of
additive consumed.
Last year a survey aimed at
pregnant women looked at the
levels of caffeine in hot
beverages. It examined the levels
of caffeine in 400 samples of tea
and coffee prepared by consumers
and purchased from retail
settings. The survey indicated that
while there was a wide range of
caffeine levels in hot beverages,
the previous advice to pregnant
women, to limit caffeine intake
following Agency guidelines,
remained appropriate.
Think national act local
While the FSA implements
European standards nationally, the
day to day responsibility for
enforcement of food legislation in
the UK lies with Local Authorities.
They are required to prepare a
food sampling policy and
programme which takes national
and local consumer issues into
account and considers the types
of businesses and foods produced
in their area. The FSA assists
Local Authorities in the coordination
of this sampling work
A recent survey examining levels
of colours in ready-to-drink soft
drinks is a good example of how
this relationship works in practice.
The survey covered 201 samples
collected from throughout the UK
and from a range of retail outlets
including supermarkets, small
retailers and vending machines.
Analysis showed four samples
contained levels of colours above
the maximum permitted limit and a
further four contained colours
which were not labelled.
Manufacturers and local
enforcement authorities were
informed and the necessary action
was taken.
Looking to Europe
It can be easy to forget that these
days up to 95% of food
regulations are not set in the UK
but in Europe, with the FSA
representing the views of the UK.
Before any additive is permitted
for use in food in Europe it must
go through a long process of
evaluations and controls. The first
step is a rigorous safety
evaluation by the independent
scientific committees that advise
the European Commission, most
notably the European Food Safety
food spring 2005