Processing aid

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A processing aid is a substance used in the production of processed food, and which may end up in the finished product, but which is not, by law, required to be disclosed to the consumer as an ingredient. [1] [2]

Contents

Ethical concerns

NGOs, journalists, and food writers have raised concerns that the current laws on processing aids amount to a loophole that enables food producers to avoid transparency, and thereby to deceive consumers as to the contents of their food. [1] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Jurisdictions

United Kingdom

Under the United Kingdom food labelling regulations, a "processing aid" is defined as follows: [8]

"Processing aid" means any substances not consumed as a food by itself, intentionally used in the processing of raw materials, foods or their ingredients, to fulfil a certain technological purpose during treatment or processing, and which may result in the unintentional but technically unavoidable presence of residues of the substance or its derivatives in the final product, provided that these residues do not present any health risk and do not have any technological effect on the finished product.

United States of America

Under the law of the United States of America, a substance is legally a "processing aid" and can be excluded from ingredients labels if it meets any of the following criteria: [9]

1. It is added to the food but later removed. E.g. activated charcoal, which removes certain impurities.

2. It is added to the food, but gets converted into a substance already present in the food. E.g. a pH adjuster that converts to salt and does not significantly add to the food's salt level.

3. It is added for a technical effect during processing but is not present at "significant" levels in the food. E.g. a preservative added to an ingredient, like anti-caking agent sodium silicoaluminate in the seasoning of some sausages.

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Food Substances consumed as nutrition

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Kashrut is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jews are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér, meaning "fit".

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Organic certification

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Food processing Transformation of raw ingredients into food, or of food into other forms

Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing includes many forms of processing foods, from grinding grain to make raw flour to home cooking to complex industrial methods used to make convenience foods. Some food processing methods play important roles in reducing food waste and improving food preservation, thus reducing the total environmental impact of agriculture and improving food security.

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Pareve

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Diquat

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Natural food

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Soy molasses is brown viscous syrup with a typical bittersweet flavor. A by-product of aqueous alcohol soy protein concentrate production, soy molasses is a concentrated, desolventized, aqueous alcohol extract of defatted soybean flakes.

Tree nut allergy

A tree nut allergy is a hypersensitivity to dietary substances from tree nuts and edible tree seeds causing an overreaction of the immune system which may lead to severe physical symptoms. Tree nuts include, but are not limited to, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, filberts/hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, shea nuts and walnuts.

Green cleaning refers to using cleaning methods and products with environmentally friendly ingredients and procedures which are designed to preserve human health and environmental quality. Green cleaning techniques and products avoid the use of products which contain toxic chemicals, some of which emit volatile organic compounds causing respiratory, dermatological and other conditions. Green cleaning can also describe the way residential and industrial cleaning products are manufactured, packaged and distributed. If the manufacturing process is environmentally friendly and the products are biodegradable, then the term "green" or "eco-friendly" may apply.

Food contaminant

Food contamination refers to the presence of harmful chemicals and microorganisms in food, which can cause consumer illness. This article addresses the chemical contamination of foods, as opposed to microbiological contamination, which can be found under foodborne illness.

Organic food

Organic food is food produced by methods complying with the standards of organic farming. Standards vary worldwide, but organic farming features practices that cycle resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Organizations regulating organic products may restrict the use of certain pesticides and fertilizers in the farming methods used to produce such products. Organic foods typically are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or synthetic food additives.

References

  1. 1 2 Blythman, Joanna (21 February 2015). "Inside the food industry: the surprising truth about what you eat". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  2. "Processing Aids Used in Modern Food Production". International Food Information Council. 23 May 2014. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  3. "Bread Labelling Transparency". Sustainweb.org. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  4. "Processing aids". Sustainweb.org. doi:10.1016/j.jcs.2007.05.004 . Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  5. Andrew Whitley (2011-08-17). Bread Matters: The State of Modern Bread and a Definitive Guide to Baking ... p. 14. ISBN   9781449418915 . Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  6. Oliver Nieburg (2011-10-19). "Federation of Bakers and Real Bread Campaign at odds over labelling of bread processing aids". Bakeryandsnacks.com. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  7. Bee Wilson (2010-10-15). Sandwich: A Global History. p. 55. ISBN   9781861898913 . Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  8. Jukes, David. "'Processing Aid' Definition". Foodlaw-Reading. University of Reading. Archived from the original on 2007-07-14. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  9. Andrews, James (10 June 2013). "Processing Aids: What's Not on the Label, and Why?". Food Safety News. Archived from the original on 2015-02-15. Retrieved 28 October 2016.