Smoking is one of the oldest methods of food treatment. It is used both for preservation and seasoning. However, if the flavor advantage of smoking is to be used above all, smoke flavorings can also be used for food processing nowadays. However, smoke flavorings are used exclusively for flavoring foods such as meat, soups and snacks. According to current knowledge, it is not possible to extend shelf life by spraying smoke flavorings or dipping foods in smoke flavorings.
If you use smoke flavorings, you should first check which smoke flavorings are approved in the European Union. The authorized smoke flavorings are on a Community list of the European Community. Because smoke flavorings are made from smoke that is subjected to fractionation and purification, the use of smoke flavorings is generally considered to pose less of a health risk than the traditional smoking process. However, if you wish to use a previously unapproved smoke flavoring, you must first apply for its approval from the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL).
What are smoke flavorings
As with conventional smoking, smoke is used to produce smoke flavorings. For this purpose, hardwoods are smoked under controlled conditions. The smoke is then used and processed to produce the so-called primary products. When these primary products are supplemented with carriers, smoke flavorings are created that can be incorporated directly into food or applied to its surface.
Why approval is needed
Since smoke flavorings are complex mixtures of many chemical substances, special regulations apply to their use as food flavorings. Therefore, a smoke flavoring requires an authorization that demonstrates that it does not pose a risk to human health.
Legal basis
In principle, only smoke flavorings that are on the EU list of authorized smoke flavorings and primary products can be used for processing in or on foods. It is specified how primary products are uniformly
- evaluated,
- approved
- and used
are to be used. All authorized primary products and smoke flavorings in the European Community are listed in this Community list. This ensures a high level of consumer safety.
Submitting an application for authorization
If you would like another smoke flavoring or its primary product to be authorized and thus added to the EU Community List, you must submit an application to the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety. Based on the data submitted, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will then evaluate the safety of the product. This will include an assessment of whether there are any risks to human health or the environment from the use proposed in the application.
Please note that smoke flavorings are in principle only approved for 10 years. If you have already received authorization for a smoke flavoring in the past, you must submit a new application at least 18 months before the existing authorization expires.