• How the evolution of biotechnology, legislative changes in 2023 and the effervescent political landscape influence the food additives segment in 2024.
Additives are used for various purposes in the food industry, such as preservation, shelf life extension and quality improvement. These include dyes, preservatives, antioxidants and flour treatment agents.
Against the backdrop of new guidelines and laws affecting the additives segment, on November 16, 2023, World Health Organization (WHO) has published a fact sheet on food additives, which brings together information about what they are, how they are assessed for safety and how consumers can learn more about additives in their food products.
Safety for consumption of food additives
Scientific Committee for Human Food (SCF) and/or the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) evaluate additives to determine their safety and enter them on the EU list once they have been approved. In the case of internationally traded products, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) is responsible for evaluating the safety of food additives.
The EC position on food additives is now in its sixth year. The Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF), which brings together representatives of Member States and the Commission to discuss food safety issues, issued its position on food additives on 17 September 2018.
The opinion on the use of plant extracts rich in constituents capable of performing a technological function, opinion approved by all member states, transmits: "Such use of extracts that provide a technological function (eg preservative, antioxidant, stabilizer - color stabilizer - etc.) in the food products to which they are added is considered a deliberate use as a food additive."
"Consequently, such use is considered to meet the definition of a food additive and must therefore comply with the conditions set out in food additive legislation (including the relevant specifications) and be labeled in accordance with the appropriate food additive labeling provisions", the notice continues.
Legal position
The PAFF opinion intends to support the authorities of the Member States in the application of the European Union (EU) rules on food additives, in particular Regulation (EC) no. 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and the Council of 16 December 2008.
EU legislation defines additives as "any substance not normally consumed as food in itself and not normally used as a characteristic ingredient of food, whether or not it has nutritive value".
The EU also has legislation that regulates the labeling of food additives based on predefined E numbers. The implementation of this EU legislation is the responsibility of the Member States and not the Commission. It is therefore for the Member States' authorities, and not the Commission, to take a position on the legal status of individual products on a case-by-case basis.
Following Brexit, in 2023 the United Kingdom published The Food Additives, Food Flavorings and Novel Foods Regulations 2023, which amends various elements of the current EU legislation on food additives and novel foods.
On 6 October 2023, the European Commission (EC) published Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2108, which sets new lower limits for nitrite and nitrate food additives. Implemented as a step towards the European Plan to Beat Cancer, Safe Food Advocacy Europe (SAFE) supported this measure: "SAFE has always called for stricter limits on nitrates and nitrites in food". The update of the regulations also responded to the diverse range of products and the conditions for obtaining them in the EU.
Changing policies
Amid financial uncertainty, regulatory changes and potential political changes in 2024, manufacturers are updating their food additive strategies.
Future changes in labeling policies will shape how brands formulate sweeteners and market them in their products. Manufacturers will need to ensure that the correct labels are on product packaging, and their contents will vary depending on the source of the ingredient.
Where the guidance advises consumers to limit their intake of certain ingredients such as sugar, it may suggest that alternatives such as sweeteners are a better substitute. However, this is not necessarily the case. The WHO, for example, issued a recommendation against the use of sweeteners in May 2023, based on evidence that they do not appear to benefit long-term weight loss or maintenance and may increase the risk of certain conditions.
As the Excess Fat, Salt or Sugar (HFSS) regulation settles in, it could encourage manufacturers to look at how food additives can be used in products to replace these ingredients, but create similar organoleptic profiles to mimic taste and texture sought by consumers.
With an increasing focus on food safety and transparency, the industry is quickly adapting to new regulations and guidelines, reflecting a constant concern for the health and quality of food products. And manufacturers are revising their strategies to respond to developments in labeling policy and consumer preferences. Thus, 2024 promises to be a year of transformation and adaptation in this important segment of the food industry.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
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