Recently, the food additive "sodium dehydroacetate" has aroused heated discussions.
From next year, dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salt will usher in a large-scale ban on the mainland. In the "National Food Safety Standard for the Use of Food Additives" (GB 2760-2024) issued in March this year, the use of dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salt in starch products, bread, pastries, baked food fillings and other foods was deleted, and the maximum amount of its use in pickled vegetables was reduced from the original 1 g/kg to 0.3 g/kg. The new version of the standard will be implemented on February 8, 2025.
▲ Changes in the scope of application of dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salt in the new and old versions of the National Food Safety Standard for the Use of Food Additives
Old and new versions
National Food Safety Standards for the Use of Food Additives
Changes in the scope of application of dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salt
so
What is sodium dehydroacetate
What does it do as a food additive
Why next year
It is no longer allowed to be added to baked goods
What is sodium dehydroacetate?
Sodium dehydroacetate is a common food additive. In terms of additives, sodium dehydroacetate is a low-toxicity and high-efficiency broad-spectrum preservative, which can better inhibit bacteria, mold and yeast and avoid mildew. Compared with preservatives such as sodium benzoate, calcium propionate and potassium sorbate, which generally need to exert maximum effect in an acidic environment, sodium dehydroacetate has a much wider range of applications, and the pH value is relatively strong in the range of 4~8.
According to the current "National Food Safety Standard for the Use of Food Additives" (GB 2760-2014), sodium dehydroacetate can be used for pickled vegetables, bread, pastries, baked food fillings and surface hanging pulp, cooked meat products and other 12 types of food, its maximum allowable use is 0.5 g/kg ~ 1.0 g/kg (based on dehydroacetic acid).
The "embalming star" is mired in controversy
Sodium dehydroacetate is widely used in the food field because of its low price, and baked goods such as bread and pastries with high water content and soft texture are the ideal "hotbed" for bacteria, and merchants usually add sodium dehydroacetate in order to extend the shelf life of the product.
But as time went on, the voices of "sodium dehydroacetate is potentially harmful" began to emerge. Entries such as "stop eating bread containing sodium dehydroacetate" and "sodium dehydroacetate will be strictly prohibited from being added to mooncakes in the future" have attracted attention. According to an article on the official website of the Dongguan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, although sodium dehydroacetate is a preservative with high safety, with the increase in research on its harmfulness, it has been found that long-term intake of sodium dehydroacetate may cause damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system.
Why are the standards for the use of dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salts adjusted?
According to an article published on the official website of the Dongguan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are generally two reasons why the National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment re-evaluates a food additive:
First, there is new evidence finding on safety that needs to be re-evaluated.
Second, the structure of food consumption has changed, when the consumption of a food has changed from less to more, it is necessary to consider whether one of the food additives will exceed the safety limit after accumulation. Over the years, the consumption of baked goods in mainland China has increased steadily. According to industry data, more than ninety percent of consumers currently buy baked goods every week. Therefore, in order to avoid risks, it is reasonable for the new standard to ban sodium dehydroacetate in baked goods.
Why is sodium dehydroacetate still allowed in pickled vegetables? On the one hand, because they do not make up a large part of our daily diet, they are certainly safe to use within the prescribed standards. On the other hand, the antiseptic effect of sodium dehydroacetate should not be underestimated, especially in meat products and soy products, the antibacterial ability is much better than the commonly used potassium sorbate.
Source: Popular News - Popular Daily