The European Commission has set new reduced limits for the use of nitrites and nitrates as food additives to ensure food safety on the EU market today (Friday, October 6).
Food additives are substances used for a variety of reasons, including preservation, colouring, sweetening, and therefore become a component of the food.
The new limits aim to ensure that food on the EU market is as safe as possible for consumers and to protect them from carcinogenic substances as part of actions under the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan.
The “significantly reduced” limits protect against pathogenic bacteria (e.g. Listeria, Salmonella, Clostridia) and reduce the exposure to nitrosamines, some of which are carcinogenic, the commission said.
Nitrites and nitrates
Based on a stringent scientific assessment of the food additives by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the new limits were endorsed unanimously by EU member states last spring.
Nitrate is commonly used for curing meat and other perishable produce and is added to food to preserve it and also help hinder the growth of harmful micro-organisms, the EFSA said.
Nitrites, together with nitrates, are also added to meat to keep it red and give flavour, while nitrates are used to prevent certain cheeses from bloating during fermentation, the EFSA said.
The new stricter limits take into account the diversity of products and their manufacturing conditions across the EU. Food business operators now have two years to adapt to these new limits.
EU citizens “expect the peace of mind that comes with safe food to eat”, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides said following the announcement.
“Today, by setting new limits for nitrites and nitrates additives in food, we are taking another step in this direction and delivering on another important action under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.
“I now call on the food industry to swiftly implement these science-based rules, and wherever possible, to reduce them further to protect the health of citizens,” the commissioner said.
The stricter limits give a “clear signal” to the industry and smaller producers that it is time to address the challenges posed by nitrites and nitrates in foods and along the whole food chain across the EU, the commission said.