Search
Search results 711-720 of 2294
Glazing agents
Glazing agents (May 2021) Glazing agents are a type of food additive used to coat the outside of food to give it a shiny appearance and/or a protective coating that can extend shelf life. They are typically used on fresh fruit and vegetables, bakery products, chocolate, chewing gum and other confectionary products. Glazing agents include vegetable oils or animal fats (471) and waxes such as beeswax (901), shellac (904) and carnauba wax (903). Before any food additive can be used in food sold in Australia and New Zealand, they must be assessed for safety and approved by FSANZ. As part of the safety assessment, we make sure there is a sound technical reason for their use and that the levels are safe and suitable for food.
MSG in food
MSG in food (October 2017) In 1908, a Japanese chemistry professor determined that monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) was responsible for the characteristic meaty or savoury taste of the broth of dried bonito and Japanese seaweed. Since then, various salts of glutamic acid including MSG (all of which are also known as 'glutamates') have been commercially produced and deliberately added to food as a flavour enhancer. Glutamates also occur naturally in almost all foods, including meat, fish, vegetables and mushrooms. Even breast milk contains naturally occurring glutamate. In general, protein-rich foods such as meat contain large amounts of bound glutamate, whereas vegetables and fruits (especially peas, tomatoes, and potatoes) and mushrooms tend to contain high levels of free glutamate. Certain cheeses, such as Parmesan…
Published December 2023
Glutamates and food
Glutamates and food (July 2017) Glutamic acid is an amino acid, naturally produced in humans and occurring in free form, for example, in tomatoes, soy sauce or certain cheeses. Glutamates are added to a wide range of foods to enhance their flavour by giving them a “savoury” or “meaty” taste. Current permissions in Australia and New Zealand Food additives are approved for use in Australia and New Zealand only if it can be shown no harmful effects are likely to result from their use.FSANZ conducts pre-market safety assessments on all food additives and monitors relevant scientific developments. Glutamic acid and glutamates (E 620-625) are authorised food additives in the EU and Australia and New Zealand in line with good manufacturing practice (GMP). This means that a food manufacturer can use a…
Published December 2023
Nitrates and nitrites
Nitrates and nitrites (September 2011) Nitrates and nitrites occur naturally in plant foods as part of the nitrogen cycle between air, land and water environments. Most of our dietary exposure to nitrates and nitrites is through fruit and vegetables. Eating fruit and vegetables is widely recommended due to the strong evidence of beneficial health effects against a range of diseases. Nitrates and nitrites have also been used as food additives in cured meats and some cheeses for many years, primarily to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Adding nitrites or nitrates improves the microbiological safety of these foods and extends their safe shelf life. In the past, some concerns have been raised about possible health risks associated with nitrates and nitrites in foods. To estimate Australians'…
Published December 2023
Colours and food additives reported as banned
Colours and food additives reported as banned (December 2012) Sometimes colours and other food additives are reported as “banned” in some countries but permitted in Australia and New Zealand. A lack of permission in a country is not the same thing as a ban. It may mean manufacturers have never sought permission to use the additive, usually because alternatives are approved. Sometimes additives are not approved because of circumstances unique to a country (e.g. different dietary exposure). Different countries also have their own food regulatory systems and legislation. This can mean an additive may have been banned many years ago, however scientific evidence since then has proven it is safe. For example, there is legislation in the US that prevents…
Published December 2023
Additives and processing aids
Additives and processing aids In this section
Steviol glycosides (960) (intense sweetener) (stevia)
Steviol glycosides (960) (intense sweetener) (stevia) (April 2023) Steviol glycosides are a type of intense sweetener usually made from the leaves of the Stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) but they can also be produced using other methods. Steviol glycosides are around 150-300 times sweeter than sugar, and only a small amount is needed to match the sweetness of regular sugar. The Food Standards Code allows steviol glycosides to be added to certain foods as a food additive. There are three approved ways to produce steviol glycosides in Australia and New Zealand:
- Extraction directly from the leaves of the stevia plant, followed by concentration and purification.
- Use of enzymes to convert stevia leaf extract into…
Published December 2023
Intense Sweeteners
Intense Sweeteners Intense sweeteners are many times sweeter than sugar which means they can be used in much smaller amounts. They are classed as food additives and added to foods to replace sugar to provide low or lower energy/kilojoule foods or foods that are reduced in sugar or sugar-free. Some intense sweeteners occur naturally in some plants and can be extracted to produce a highly concentrated extract. Examples are steviol glycosides extracted from the South American plant Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (stevia) and monk fruit extract (also called luo han guo extract) which is derived from the fruit of a perennial vine native to southern China. FSANZ, together with the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand recently conducted a review of all the intense sweeteners permitted for use in…
Published December 2023
Sulphites
Sulphites (February 2019) Sulphites are naturally occurring minerals that have a long history of use in foods. They naturally occur in some foods but are widely used as a food additive to prevent microbial spoilage and preserve colour. Cordials, dried fruit, sausages and wine are some of the foods that commonly contain sulphites. International scientific committees and FSANZ have thoroughly investigated the safety of sulphites and concluded that for most people sulphites are safe. However some sulphite-sensitive people, many of whom also have asthma, may react to sulphites with allergy-like symptoms. Following surveys of levels of sulphites in foods in Australia and New Zealand, FSANZ evaluated whether there were any issues with those levels and exposure. We concluded that there was a potential for…
Published December 2023
Acrylamide and food
Acrylamide and food What is acrylamide? Acrylamide is a chemical that can form when certain starchy foods are cooked or processed. While there's no direct evidence that acrylamide can cause cancer in humans, there is evidence it can cause cancer in laboratory animals. Read more about this evidence. Therefore, FSANZ believes that it is prudent to reduce our exposure to acrylamide in food. How are Australians and New Zealanders exposed to acrylamide? Acrylamide has been detected in a range of foods including fried or roasted potato products, cereal-based products (including sweet biscuits and toasted bread) and coffee. Estimated dietary exposures of Australian consumers to acrylamide in food were investigated as…
Published December 2023