The European Commission, in a regulation adopted last Friday, ordered the levels of nitrites and nitrates used by the food industry as preservatives – mainly in sausages, but also in other processed meats and some types of cheese and fish – in line with planned measures to reduce . in the European Plan to Fight Cancer.
The new limits are the result of a scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) last spring, were previously agreed by all EU member states and the industry now has two years to apply them. The additives affected are potassium nitrite (labeled as E-249 in foods), sodium nitrite (E-250), sodium nitrate (E-251) and potassium nitrate (E-252).
Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides has called on companies to apply these maximum levels as quickly as possible and, if possible, to lower them even further to protect citizens’ health. “These limits send a clear signal to industry and small-scale producers that it is time to address the challenges posed by the presence of nitrites and nitrates in food across the EU and along the entire food chain,” said he.
The aim of the measure is to maintain at a safe level citizens’ exposure to these substances, which are known to be the cause of some cancers of the digestive system by reacting with other compounds to form nitrosamines. They can also cause other disorders, particularly in babies, by interfering with the transport of oxygen through the blood to all cells in the body.
The food affected by the measure is not the only source of contamination with nitrates and nitrites, as these substances occur in nature and also reach humans through water and in particular some vegetables such as green leafy vegetables (spinach, chard, borage). ..). For this reason, the Ministry of Health recommends that children under one year old should not consume spinach or chard and should consume less than 45 grams per day until the age of three. Borage should only be consumed from the age of four.
“What is important is the overall exposure to these compounds. The step taken by the European Commission and the ESFA is relevant because it helps keep food below the levels considered safe and gives citizens confidence in the food they eat so that they can eat healthily,” says Cristóbal Morales, endocrinologist at Virgen de la Macarena and Vithas hospitals, both in Seville
The industry uses nitrites and nitrates to prevent the growth of pathogens that cause poisoning, such as salmonella and listeria, and in particular to prevent the development of spores of Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that produces botulinum toxin and causes botulism. “The preservative is nitrite. However, as their abundance decreases over time, the industry also adds nitrates so that they break down into nitrites due to the action of some microorganisms naturally occurring in food. This allows us to keep them at a safe level over a longer period of time,” explains José Juan Rodríguez, professor of food safety at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).
Nitrites have another effect that companies are striving for: preserving the reddish color of sausages and processed meat. Without them, these foods would have a very pale grayish or pink color, which consumers typically dislike.
The National Association of the Meat Industry of Spain (ANICE) has spoken out in favor of the European Commission’s new limits. “We are happy and satisfied with the reductions created by the new regulations. “The European Commission has presented a proposal, which has found the consensus of scientific institutions, Member States and the European meat industry, and which adequately reduces the use of these preservatives and allows the industry to adapt to the new values,” explains Sergio. Martín Rubio , head of the technical department of ANICE.
The nitrate content in some foods has been attracting the attention of health authorities, health experts and consumers for years, at a time when concern about healthy eating is increasing and new findings are shedding light on the causes of some oncological processes. In May 2017, EFSA published two scientific opinions on the safety of using nitrates and nitrites as food additives. The conclusion was that both preservatives were safe for consumers in the previously permitted amounts.
The European Commission’s position changed last spring when another EFSA assessment warned that “exposure [actual] “Nitrosamines, compounds that can form in food during preparation and processing, pose a health problem.” The focus of the research this time was broader, as nitrosamines are formed both by nitrites that enter the diet as a food additive (in sausage , cheese…) as well as those that occur naturally (in vegetables, water…). Overall, however, the conclusion is worrying: “It is very likely that all age groups are exposed to nitrosamine concentrations that are above the level of health concern,” the agency said.
According to experts, these conclusions have now led the Commission to take the step to reduce the population’s exposure to these compounds as much as possible. “The monitoring of the authorities is essential. It is a dynamic process in which new insights lead to decisions that ensure consumer safety. “In this case, we see that although the recommended consumption of sausage products can be considered safe, current exposure to nitrates and nitrites may pose risks that need to be reduced,” says Cristóbal Morales.
For its part, the ANICE association defends that nitrites and nitrates “are essential additives since they can inhibit the development of pathogens and ensure food safety, in addition to other antioxidant and technological functions linked to the organoleptic properties of meat products: development and stability of color, aroma and taste.
“There are currently no alternatives that meet the technological requirements of nitrifiers, so they cannot be eliminated, says the statement from the EFSA itself. The meat industry continues to advance research to find alternatives to the use of nitrites, but So far, all the efforts made have not produced the desired results,” defends Sergio Martín Rubio.
José Juan Rodríguez adds another variable to the equation: climate change. “We are at a time when high temperatures are becoming increasingly common across Europe, which poses a risk to food safety as it favors the spread of pathogens in food if the appropriate precautionary measures and the cold chain are not respected. “When making such decisions, risks and benefits must be assessed. Although the additives are not harmless, the risk of not using them may be greater if the result is an increase in very serious poisonings such as botulism,” he concludes.
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