May 30, 2012

FSANZ approves new food processing aid

Australia and New Zealand's food safety authorities have approved dibromo-dimethylhydantoin (DBDMH) as a processing aid for the treatment of foods.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) said DBDMH had been given the go-ahead to be used as an antimicrobial washing agent across the board, although its main uses were likely to treat meat and poultry, as well as water in ice-making systems for use in poultry processing.

The approval came following an application by Elanco Animal Health to amend Standard 1.3.3 - Processing Aids, of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

FSANZ confirmed it had carried out the appropriate assessment and found the substance was fit for purpose or "technically justified" and posed no public health risks.

When added to water, DBDMH hydrolyses to form hypobromous acid, an active compound that possesses antimicrobial activity. Hypobromous acid kills bacteria present on the surface of food such as E.coli and Salmonella, said the food safety watchdog.

It noted that the regulations currently allow for use of a similar antimicrobial halohydantoin agent called bromo-chloro-dimethylhydantoin (BCDMH) for the treatment of all foods.

Elanco asked that the entry for BCDMH be replaced with a joint entry for DBDMH and BCDMH in the part of the Code relating to permitted bleaching, washing and peeling agents.

However, FSANZ has proposed including DBDMH as a separate entry to clearly distinguish the different residues from each chemical and their levels.

This permission would include maximum permitted levels (MPLs) of two milligrams per kilogrammes for dimethylhydantoin (DMH) and two milligrams per kilogrammes for inorganic bromide in the treated food. The MPL for inorganic bromide from the new chemical differs to the maximum amount of one milligrams per kilogrammes of inorganic bromide, said the body.