Sedikit sebanyak info tentang Food E-Code adalah berikut :-
ADDITIVES AND HALAL CERTIFICATION BACKGROUND
Food additives as defined by the European Community (EC) is “any substance which are not normally consumed as food in itself and not normally used as a characteristic ingredient of food whether or not it has nutritive value, in the manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, packaging, transport or storage of such food results, or may be reasonably expected to result, in it or its by-products becoming directly or indirectly a component of such foods”.
In Singapore, food additive is defined as “all substances, which are components of food, the intended use of which results or may reasonably be expected to result, directly or indirectly, in their affecting the characteristics of food but does not include any foreign substance mixed with food as a result of contamination, or improper handling of food during preparation, processing, packing or storage of the food”
There are many kinds of food additives available and have been widely used for centuries. It has been categorized by World Health Organisation(WHO), Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations(FAO), Codex Alimentarius Commision (Codex) and EC for easy reference Some of the categories includes emulsifiers, thickeners, anti-oxidants, colouring, flavour enhancer etc. Some of the common additives includes, salt, sugar, vitamins, starches etc.
Over the years, the extensive use of food additives raised concerns over its safety for consumption by humans. There were reports of human intolerance over its use. Clinical symptoms like hypersensitivity and/or allergy are the most common. Therefore, its use needed to be regulated. Thus the formation of Scientific Committee of Food (SCF) of the European Community.The members of the SCF are independent persons, highly qualified in the fields associated with medicine, nutrition, toxicology, biology, chemistry, or other similar disciplines.
FOOD ADDITIVES’ ECC-CODES (E-CODES)
Before any additive is used in food, it is subjected to an adequate toxicology evaluation. Its level of usage was also evaluated. In European Community (EC), approved food additives are given codes with an ’E’ prefix for easy reference and transparent movement across Europe. These codes are known as EEC number. In its food labeling legislation, EC requires “food additives sold singly or mixed with each other, for each additive, the name laid down by any Community provisions applying and its EEC number or, in the absence for such provisions, a description of the additive that is sufficiently precise to enable it to be distinguished from additives with which it could be confused, in descending order of the proportion by weight in the total”.
In short, additives that have been proven safe and approved by EC is given the E-codes. Manufacturers have a choice of whether to declare their product ingredients using its (the additives) scientific name, description or its E-codes Since there had been extensive study on the safety use and application of food additives, many health authorities around the world adopted similar regulations proposed by EC, FAO and WHO. For the convenience of consumers to identify the E-codes, a further scientific and application classification had been developed. They are as follows:
