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License 8 smoke flavoring not renewed

On April 24, member states approved the European Commission's proposal not to renew the authorization of eight food smoke flavourings. After a phase-out period, these flavorings will no longer be allowed to be used in the European Union (EU).

This decision follows scientific evaluations by EFSA, which show that genotoxicity has been confirmed or cannot be ruled out for all the flavorings evaluated. The eight flavorings in question have been on the EU market for 10 years. Last year, applicants asked the European Commission to extend their licenses for another 10 years, but that is therefore not going to happen. The flavors in question are the following:

  • Scansmoke PB 1110 (SF-001)
  • Zesti Smoke Code 10 (SF-002)
  • Smoke Concentrate 809045 (SF-003)
  • Scansmoke SEF 7525 (SF-004)
  • SmokEz C-10 (SF- 005)
  • SmokEz Enviro-23 (SF-006)
  • proFagus-Smoke R709 (SF-008)
  • Fumokomp (SF-009)

Challenge for R&D

Regulation 1321/2013 contains the list of approved smoke flavorings. Currently there are still about 10 flavorings on this list, but soon it will thus be shortened to just two more. Manufacturers will have to look for alternatives, or may choose to smoke products the traditional way. This feels crude, as one of the reasons for creating a list of approved smoke flavorings was precisely because it was considered healthier than traditional smoking of products, due to the possible presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Smoke flavoring producers will have to come up with new flavorings, although EFSA will also have to examine these flavorings before they can be approved by the European Commission.

Phasing out gradually

Manufacturers do not have to switch to a new recipe immediately yet; the regulation establishes several transition periods to give producers and operators time to adapt to the new regulations. For uses replacing traditional smoking, such as in ham, fish and cheese, the flavourings may continue to be used for the next five years. For uses where the smoke flavoring is added for additional flavor, such as in soups, chips and sauces, the period is two years. But before that happens, the regulation must first be formally adopted by the Commission. It is expected to enter into force later this spring.

Want to know more?

Want to know more about this change? Please contact us at info@precongroup.com, NL +31 (0)30 65 66 010 or BE +32 (0)11 26 99 07.

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