Q: What standards should be applied to commercial food additives? How to distinguish between commercial food additives and compound food additives?

A: In order to achieve the processing, storage, dissolution and other technological purposes of food additives, auxiliary materials (including food additives, food raw materials) can be added to monomer food additives to make commercial food additives, and the added auxiliary materials do not play the function in final food. At present, some food additives quality specification standards have stipulated the quality specification requirements and commercialization of monomer food additives, mainly including the production process, technical requirements (sensory requirements, physical and chemical indicators, microbial indicators, etc.) and their corresponding test methods, and specified the categories of auxiliary materials allowed to be used. Food additive manufacturers may produce commercial food additives in accordance with the above provisions and implement the corresponding quality specification standards. When the commercial product is difficult to meet monomer food additive indicators, test methods in standard, the manufacturer can, in accordance with the specific situation of the product, formulate the corresponding control measures, clear the indicator requirements for the commercial product (can include sensory requirements, physical and chemical indicators, microbial indicators) and test methods.

For example, GB 1886.233-2016 National Food Safety Standard Food Additive Vitamin E stipulates the quality specification requirements for the food additive vitamin E and the related requirements for commercial products, manufacturers can produce vitamin E and its commercial products in accordance with the relevant provisions of GB 1886.233-2016. Commercial vitamin E should comply with the provisions of GB 1886.233-2016 and is not a compound food additive. If the traits of commercial vitamin E and monomer food additive vitamin E have significant differences and some indicators are not suitable for GB 1886.233-2016, the manufacturer can formulate corresponding control measures according to the actual situation of the product.

Compound food additives are food additives formed by physically mixing two or more single varieties of food additives with or without auxiliary materials for the purpose of improving food quality and facilitating food processing. All monomer food additives used in the production of compound food additives should be applicable to the intended food category (i.e., with a common scope of application) and play a functional role in the intended food category. The usage should ensure that the maximum usage of each monomer food additive complies with the provisions of GB 2760 and relevant announcements of the National Health Commission. Compound food additives should comply with the provisions of GB 26687-2011 National Food Safety Standard General Principles for Compound Food Additives.

Source: CFSA

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