Supermarket – Photo by Tomasz Sienicki
(BRUSSELS) – As part of its plans to protect consumers from carcinogenic substances, the EU Commission set out Friday a set of new reduced limits for the use of nitrites and nitrates as food additives.
The new significantly reduced limits protect against pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Listeria, Salmonella, Clostridia), as well as reduce the exposure to nitrosamines, some of which are carcinogenic. The new limits were endorsed unanimously by EU Member States last spring and are based on a stringent scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
“Our citizens expect the peace of mind that comes with safe food to eat, this has always been a cornerstone of my mandate,” said Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides: “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.”
She called on the food industry to implement the science-based rules swiftly, and wherever possible, “to reduce them further to protect the health of citizens.”
The new stricter limits take into account the diversity of products and their manufacturing conditions across the EU. They give a clear signal to the industry and smaller producers that it is time to address the challenges posed by the presence of nitrites and nitrates in foods across the EU, and along the whole food chain.
Food business operators will now have two years to adapt to these new limits.
