January 30, 2007

US FDA approves more substances for use in poultry and meat processing

The US federal food safety inspection has approved more substances in the latest list of additives, antimicrobials and agents for use as processing aids

The list was last updated in May of last year.

Increased food safety regulations and the cost of recalls due to contaminated foods are driving the search for better solutions to reduce pathogens in their plants.

Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) regulations define processing aids as substances required during the manufacture or processing of a food and that are ordinarily removed from the final food.

Although residuals are allowed in the final products, it must not have any health effect.

Other additives may be used to provide a technical effect in the final food, such as the antioxidants BHA and BHT. However, names of the additive used are not required on the label.

Among the new additions is a 60:40 blend of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid for use in generating carbon dioxide in packages of raw whole muscle cuts of meat and poultry.

Value-added products and additive free foods is helping to popularize the use of antimicrobials in almost all food processing segments, according to a report last year from Frost & Sullivan. The firm forecasts that US demand for antimicrobials would reach US$215.8m in 2012, from US$161.7m in 2005.