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More than 20 additives to food items to be banned from July 1
In a bid to control the use of flavouring substances and flavour enhancers in food items, the Health Ministry will implement the Food (Flavouring Substances and Flavour Enhancers) Regulations 2013 with effect from July 1, this year.
The flavouring substances that will be prohibited to be used in food are Aloin, Berbine, Beta-Azarone and cinnamyl anthracillate, Cade oil, Calamus oil, Cocaine,Coumarin, Diethylene glycol, Diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, Estragole, Eugenyl methyl ether, Hypericine, Nitrobenzene, Pyroligenous acid, Saffrole and Isosaffrole, Santonin, Sasafras oil, Thujone,Isothujone, Tonka bean and any other flavouring substance that is injurious or likely to be injurious to health.
The regulation prepared in consultation with the Food Advisory Committee will only allow flavour enhancers Monosodium glutamate- INS 621, Disodium 5′-guanylate-INS 627 and Disodium 5′-inosinate-INS 631.
However, these flavours cannot be added to any food for infants or young children below three years of age and may be added to foods subject to observance of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) where the label clearly states the use of such flavour enhances.
According to the gazetted regulation, the use of flavour enhancers are prohibited in milk and milk products, ice cream and frozen desserts, fats and oils, margarine and fat spreads, fresh, surface treated, peeled or cut fruits and vegetables, mushrooms, fruit wines, all fruit and vegetable products except fruit powders, vegetable powders, instant fruit and vegetable chutney mix, vinegar, food grains, pulses, oil seeds, whole, broken or flaked grains including rice, edible flour and starches, sago, pastas and noodles(dry products), malt-based and milk-based foods.
The use of flavour enhancers will also be prohibited in bakery products, fresh meat, poultry and game, fresh fish, crustaceans, white, brown sugar, sucrose, sugar syrups, jaggery, treacle, sugar toppings, bee honey, sugar confectionary, ice candies, culinary herbs and spices (except in curry mixtures and flavouring mixtures in sachets), black, green and herbal teas, cereal beverages, baking powder, cocoa butter and cocoa products.
The import, manufacture, store, use, transport, sell or offer for sale, distribution and advertising of prohibited flavouring substances , will be a punishable offence under the Food Act.
The gazette also emphasises the labelling of food containing flavour substance or flavour enhancers.
A natural flavouring should include ‘natural X flavour’ (natural vanilla flavour, natural chicken flavour) while artificial flavour, natural-identical flavouring also should follow the same labelling requirement. If flavour enhancer or enhancers are used as ingredients, it is compulsory to use the words ‘flavour enhancer used’ and include the common name and INS number of the flavour enhancer.