Category: Flavour Manager

It’s official: smoke flavourings will soon no longer be authorised in the EU. Here’s an update with Flavour Manager.

Smoke flavourings have been the subject of specific European regulations. Listed since 2013 in EU regulation 1321/2013, there are 10 of them, numbered SF-001 to SF-010. At the time, the EU provided for a 10-year authorisation, renewable on request, with restrictions on use by type of foodstuff that have not changed since.

At the beginning of 2024, at the end of the initial 10-year period, 8 of the 10 smoke flavourings listed had been the subject of renewal applications from their producers. The remaining two (SF-007 and SF-010) are therefore no longer authorised.

An EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) assessment of the 8 concluded that there was a risk of genotoxicity. On the basis of this assessment, the EU has decided to gradually ban all smoke flavourings authorised to date. The timescales for the ban take account of the diversity of uses of smoke flavourings, to allow enough time for users of these flavourings to change their manufacturing processes.

As a result, finished products containing smoke flavourings may be placed on the market until 1 July 2026. This date is extended to 1 July 2029 for products in food categories 1.7 (Cheese and cheese products), 8 (Meat), 9.2 (Processed fish and fish products, including molluscs and crustaceans) and 9.3 (Fish roe). The limit values for these flavourings in finished products, by food category, continue to apply.

In Flavour Manager, smoke flavourings SF-007 and SF-010 are already listed as prohibited. The bans by type of food will come into force in the database on the dates stipulated in the regulations (2026 and 2029). Finally, we will be contacting our users individually with a list of their flavourings containing smoke flavourings, to help them identify the changes they need to implement.

Don’t hesitate to contact Paul if you have any questions: paul@flavourmanager.com

Anyone with a slight interest in the composition of flavourings and the associated regulations often comes across this term: Quantum Satis.

What is its definition? Why is it used? What are the concrete impacts for flavourists in terms of flavour formulation? For the regulatory departments of flavour houses? And for users of flavourings?

A full review with Flavour Manager on this page.

Two new pieces of legislation arrived at the end of September, modifying the European Union’s positive list of permitted substances in flavourings! It has a significant impact on flavour suppliers and users. Naturally, we’ve performed our magic: the appropriate changes have been made in Flavour Manager databases and no action is required from our users to remain compliant 🌟

✅ 25 substances from the Union List were previously restricted in finished products, awaiting further evaluation since the original text was published. This evaluation having taken place, it was concluded that the substances do not raise safety concerns for the consumer. The restrictions have therefore been lifted.

⛔ 22 substances from the Union List, which were not restricted in finished products, have on the contrary been banned. Indeed, their evaluation had been pending since the publication of the initial law text, and had to be updated within a certain timeframe. As this deadline has passed, the Commission has, as expected, removed these substances from the Union List.

Find out here how Flavour Manager can help you, whether you are a flavour supplier or user.

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Flavourings often contain carriers that are regulated and must not exceed certain limits in the finished product. This creates a dual responsibility for flavour companies to inform their customers of the proportions of these carriers in the flavour, and for the food and beverage industry to ensure that the limits are respected to protect their consumers.
 
For example, propylene glycol, which is widely used as a solvent in flavourings, must not be present at more than 3 g/kg in foodstuffs, and 1 g/l in beverages, either alone or in combination with triethyl citrate, diacetin and/or triacetin.
 
We take a closer look with Flavour Manager on this page.