EU declares health risk: Artificial smoke flavors banned

Artificial smoke flavors, found in many snacks, meats, cheeses, and sauces, have been withdrawn by the European Union due to serious health risks.

Member states supported the European Commission's proposal to not renew approval for eight smoke flavorings for food. These flavors had previously replaced traditional smoking in products like sausages or cheeses and enhanced the taste of crisps, sauces, instant meals, drinks, ice creams, and confectionery products. Consequently, products such as bacon crisps, which relied on the withdrawn flavorings, may soon disappear from store shelves.

At the end of April 2023, member states supported the European Commission's proposal, resulting in the removal of eight smoke flavorings from the ingredients of products across the European Union. Specific withdrawal periods have been established for different products to give manufacturers time to comply with the new regulations.

"In the case of replacing traditional smoking (e.g., hams, fish, cheeses), the withdrawal period is five years. In applications where the smoke flavor is added to achieve additional taste (e.g., soups, crisps, sauces), the withdrawal period will be two years," stated the communication. "After the withdrawal period, these flavorings will no longer be allowed in the EU."

According to a communication from the European Commission, these decisions are based on scientific assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which found that all eight evaluated smoke flavors posed genotoxicity concerns, either confirmed or not excluded (this pertains to specific flavorings added to food, not the food item itself).

"Genotoxicity is the ability of a chemical substance to damage the genetic material of cells. Changes or mutations in a cell's genetic information can increase the risk of developing diseases such as cancer and hereditary illnesses. For this type of toxicity, it is not possible to determine a safe level," explains EFSA on its website.