2.2 Food Additives
39
(c) Color
(d) Retention agent
(e) Sequestrant.
This chemical, when used as food additive, may be allowed in the following
situations (the list is not exhaustive) (Alimentarius 1995):
(1) Milk protein
(2) Cheeses
(3) Fermented milks
(4) Plain pasteurized, sterilized, and/or ultra-high-temperature (UHT) creams
(5) Butter oil, anhydrous milk fat, ghee
(6) Vegetable oils, vegetable fats
(7) Lard, tallow, fish oil, and other animal fats
(8) Untreated fresh vegetables, seaweeds, nuts, and seeds
(9) Frozen vegetables, seaweeds, nuts, and seeds
(10) Fermented vegetables
(11) Fresh and dried pastas and noodles
(12) Fresh comminuted meat, poultry, etc.
(13) Fresh mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms
(14) Smoked, dried, fermented, and/or salted fish and fish
(15) Liquid or frozen egg products
(16) Salt substitutes
(17) Infant and follow-up formulae
(18) Fruit juices, vegetable juices (and related concentrates for similar preparations)
(19) Fruit and vegetable nectars (and related concentrates for similar preparations)
(20) Coffee, coffee substitutes, tea, herbal infusions, etc. (with the exclusion of
cocoa).
Should citric acid be used in a preparation, its function would be declared and
on condition that it is allowed with possible notes (e.g., maximum allowed amount,
or quantum satis condition limited by Good Manufacturing Practices). Anyway, the
classification of allowed used (for the production of selected products) does not
impose certain functions. As an example, E330 may be used as acidity regulator
in a cheese production and be used as sequestrant (in combination with other salts,
possibly sodium citrates) in other (processed) cheese formulations (Mania et al.
2017).
On the other side, E330 has different intrinsic dangers for food operators.
Consequently:
(a) Citric acid is allowed and safe in food productions for food consumers provided
that certain precautions are observed, and
(b) At the same time, citric acid has to be managed safely by food operators with
dedicated precautions, depending on the physical state of E330 and the interested production step (e.g., use of high temperatures? Possibility of aerosolized
suspensions? Possibility of recirculating air? Presence of water? Presence of
alkaline media in the immediate proximity?).
39
(c) Color
(d) Retention agent
(e) Sequestrant.
This chemical, when used as food additive, may be allowed in the following
situations (the list is not exhaustive) (Alimentarius 1995):
(1) Milk protein
(2) Cheeses
(3) Fermented milks
(4) Plain pasteurized, sterilized, and/or ultra-high-temperature (UHT) creams
(5) Butter oil, anhydrous milk fat, ghee
(6) Vegetable oils, vegetable fats
(7) Lard, tallow, fish oil, and other animal fats
(8) Untreated fresh vegetables, seaweeds, nuts, and seeds
(9) Frozen vegetables, seaweeds, nuts, and seeds
(10) Fermented vegetables
(11) Fresh and dried pastas and noodles
(12) Fresh comminuted meat, poultry, etc.
(13) Fresh mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms
(14) Smoked, dried, fermented, and/or salted fish and fish
(15) Liquid or frozen egg products
(16) Salt substitutes
(17) Infant and follow-up formulae
(18) Fruit juices, vegetable juices (and related concentrates for similar preparations)
(19) Fruit and vegetable nectars (and related concentrates for similar preparations)
(20) Coffee, coffee substitutes, tea, herbal infusions, etc. (with the exclusion of
cocoa).
Should citric acid be used in a preparation, its function would be declared and
on condition that it is allowed with possible notes (e.g., maximum allowed amount,
or quantum satis condition limited by Good Manufacturing Practices). Anyway, the
classification of allowed used (for the production of selected products) does not
impose certain functions. As an example, E330 may be used as acidity regulator
in a cheese production and be used as sequestrant (in combination with other salts,
possibly sodium citrates) in other (processed) cheese formulations (Mania et al.
2017).
On the other side, E330 has different intrinsic dangers for food operators.
Consequently:
(a) Citric acid is allowed and safe in food productions for food consumers provided
that certain precautions are observed, and
(b) At the same time, citric acid has to be managed safely by food operators with
dedicated precautions, depending on the physical state of E330 and the interested production step (e.g., use of high temperatures? Possibility of aerosolized
suspensions? Possibility of recirculating air? Presence of water? Presence of
alkaline media in the immediate proximity?).