Q&A: Why does the EU want to ban smoky flavourings in food products?
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A EU plan to phase out some smoky flavourings in food has everyone from Kerrygold to pub-goers fond of a bag or two of smoky bacon crisps up in arms.
So what is going on?
In the past, smoked meats, for example, were hung in wooden huts to age, and while many of us still assume this is the case, most producers now use smoke flavourings instead.
These are produced by thermal degradation of wood. They can be added to foods including fish, meat and dairy products as well as foods such as soup or even desserts.
It has been seen as healthier than relying on smoke from burning wood or heating sawdust, but health concerns have been growing.
It plans to phase out use of eight smoke flavourings when their use is up for renewal. The phase-out period for hams, fish and cheeses where the flavourings replace the traditional method is five years. Flavourings added to crisps, soups and sauces must be phased out within two years.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found for these eight smoke flavourings “genotoxicity concerns are either confirmed or can’t be ruled out”.
This is when a substance is capable of damaging the DNA in cells.
“Changes or mutations to the genetic information within a cell may increase the risk of developing conditions like cancer and inherited diseases,” it said.
It added for this type of toxicity “it is not possible to define a safe level".
The EFSA already identified safety concerns in 2012 among a list of 11 products submitted by manufacturers. Its use was limited as a result compared to what the producers were seeking.
Using a new approach, the EFSA said in eight products re-assessed risks were confirmed for six and could not be ruled out for two.
It said there was a raised risk of “harmful effects” but it has not investigated the chance of these occurring after eating foods flavoured with smoke flavourings.
Most people in Ireland think of products such as smoked salmon as a healthy option in their diets so this news has come as a shock.
There was divided reaction on the internet. One user on the Reddit r/Ireland forum posted sardonically: “Hearing the news...Drops to the ground and does a Darth Vader NOOOOO”.
But another predicted the people going to hell are company CEOs and “and the people who knowingly feed the population poison”.
Kerrygold wrote to then taoiseach Leo Varadkar in January warning the move would cause “major economic harm” to the Irish food sector. It has been estimated up to 40% of the ham and bacon sold here uses these flavourings.
It argued this method was more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than “conventional smoking” methods.