Edible pigment exactly have to harm?

08:48 July 7, 2016

Source: People's Daily online - health times

Is there a harm to the original title: edible pigment? Drug administration says...

Recently, the food and drug regulatory agency of packages, some fruit products colorants overspray, super limited use of problems. What is a stain? In the food industry how to apply? What are the relevant laws and regulations standard at home and abroad? Released recently, total bureau of national food and drug supervision and administration of 8, 2016 the food safety risk analysis, interpretation of related experts "stain".

A, colorants is to make the food given to improve the color and color food additives.

Colorants also called food pigment, is to make the food given to improve the color and color food material, belongs to the category of food additives. At present, the commonly used food colorants in the world has more than 60 kinds, according to its origin and nature of food can be divided into natural food colorants and synthetic colorants two kinds big. Natural food colorants mainly come from natural pigment, according to its different sources, there are mainly three types: one is plant pigments, such as sugar beet red, turmeric, beta carotene, chlorophyll, etc; Second, animal pigment, such as shellac, cochineal, etc; Third, microbes, such as monascus red. Synthetic food colorants are mainly based on some special chemical groups or chromophore synthetic, according to their chemical structure can be divided into two kinds, one is the azo dyes, such as amaranth, carmine, sunset yellow, tartrazine, new red, temptation red, acid, etc.; Second is azo pigment, such as erythrosine, bright blue, etc.

Second, the use of food colorants and logo are clear and strict rules.

Different countries on the types of food colorants and use are defined. International codex alimentarius commission (CAC), the European Union, the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other international organizations, national and regional laws and regulations and standards also have natural food colorants and food in the use of synthetic colorants.

"Standard of national food safety standards of using food additives in our country, allows the use of food colorants (GB2760) specified by the variety, scope of use and the use of limited or residue, the quality of the corresponding specifications are also gradually improve. At the same time, according to "national food safety standards" general principles of pre-packaged food (GB7718), as long as used in the food colouring agent must be identified on food labels.

Three, according to the regulations of the standard rational use of colorants will not cause harm to human body health.

Whether it is a natural food colorants or food synthetic colorants, the security shall all stand on the same starting line for risk assessment. Approved as long as through the risk assessment, and according to the regulations of the standards and the corresponding quality specifications specifications using is safe, will not bring harm to the health of consumers. Allows the use of food additives in the GB2760 are after safety assessment, to conform to the standard use of colorants, consumers don't have to worry about.

Four, at present, there are food beyond, the limited use of colorants, for this kind of issues that need to be given high attention.

From the 2015 published by the state food and drug supervision and management of the administration of food safety supervision and sampling inspection, food additives, including colorants, the overspray, super limited use of 24.8% of the unqualified samples. The reason is that some manufacturers do not understand the provisions of the relevant standards, the lack of corresponding technical management, also have individual manufacturer to save the cost of production, or sensory effects of one-sided pursuit of product and deliberately.

Because this expert suggests: it is a food production enterprises should strictly abide by the relevant standards and regulations. The food production enterprise shall strictly abide by the GB2760 and GB7718 requirements. On the premise of the desired effect should reduce as far as possible, including food colorants, use of food additives in foods, and identity in the label code. Second, regulators should make, super limited use of food colorants for their regulation. Suggested strict regulatory food enterprises to the use of food colorants and identity. To the behavior of the illegal add food coloring to give severe punishment, and at the same time to strengthen the guidance and training of professionals. Three is that consumers should be rational view of food colorants. Proposal consumer rationality colorants, not excessive pursuit of food sensory properties, should from the perspective of science and nature to understand the food composition and sensory quality.