Will you never eat these chips again?  The European Union introduces a ban

Will you never eat these chips again? The European Union introduces a ban

Will bacon chips be withdrawn from sale due to new European Union regulations? This is not true. These are eight flavors that are added, among others: for chips, cold cuts and sauces. The European Commission plans not to extend the authorization for their use. Member countries support this decision.

Recently, a rumor spread around the Internet that the European Union would ban the sale of bacon-flavored chips. Many people probably believed the false reports.

Bacon chips banned by the European Union? This is false information

A post recently appeared on the X platform suggesting that the European Union is banning bacon-flavored chips. “Do you like bacon chips? You’ll have to get out of the habit because the EU bans them,” wrote an Internet user. He attached a photo of the headline of one of the online articles to the post.

Reading the comments under the entry, it can be concluded that many people believed the rumor. There was a wave of negative comments on this subject. “Their taste reminds us that there is such a thing as pork – and people should forget about it. This is probably a sensible reason. As sensible as 99% of EU regulations,” we read in the comments on the platform. Internet users criticized the European Union and mockingly invented new flavors of snacks that will replace the bacon flavor. Chips with the flavor of “grasshopper”, “cricket” or “roasted beetles” – we read under the entry.

The European Union is withdrawing harmful flavors from food. Bacon chips will not be banned

Many people have fallen for this misinformation because the European Union has no plans to ban bacon-flavored chips. These are eight smoke flavors that are used as food additives. Flavors are added as an alternative to the traditional smoking process. They can be found in, among others: cold cuts, sauces, drinks, ice cream, confectionery, instant meals and many salty snacks.

Where did the EU’s idea to withdraw flavors from food come from?

The use of smoke flavors requires a license from the European Union. The authorization period for their use is ending soon. At the end of 2023, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessed the safety of these flavors. The office asked the European Commission not to extend the license for another 10 years.

As we read on the website, the studies showed that in the case of eight smoke flavors assessed, the genotoxicity concerns were confirmed or could not be ruled out. “Genotoxicity is the ability of a chemical substance to damage the genetic material of cells. Changes or mutations in the genetic information in the cell may increase the risk of developing diseases such as cancer and hereditary diseases. It is not possible to determine a safe level for this type of toxicity,” says EFSA.

Withdrawal of smoke flavors – European Union countries support the idea

At the end of April, the European Commission announced that member states support not extending the authorization for the use of eight smoke flavors in food. The regulation proposes various phase-out periods for flavors so that producers have time to comply with the new regulations. Where these flavors were a substitute for traditional smoking (e.g. cold meats and cheeses), the phase-out period will be 5 years. For applications where flavors are added for additional flavor (e.g. crisps and sauces) the phase-out period will be 2 years.

Source: Gazeta

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