August 7, 2013

The EU has relaxed food laws which prevent the use of rosemary antioxidants (E392) in lean meat and fish products, following an application, by French supplier, Naturex, in early 2012.

Rosemary extracts are used in meat and fish products to improve colour and flavour but had been restricted in low-fat products as the permitted antioxidant use was tied to the fat content of products.

Rosemary extracts are used in items like heat-treated, processed meats and processed fish. However, its use in low-fat types was rendered virtually redundant as the permitted levels did not deliver efficacious results.

"A number of meat and fish processors were frustrated as they could not use rosemary extracts at the most effective levels in products such as cooked ham, lean poultry, or processed fish," said Baptiste Demur, business manager for savoury markets at Naturex.

The new law puts levels of rosemary extract use at 15 milligrammes/kilogramme (mg/kg), "for products with a fat content not higher than 10% while maintaining the allowed maximum level of 150 mg/kg expressed on fat basis for the products with a fat content higher than 10%."

The ruling is also applicable to molluscs and crustaceans.