Evaluation of food additive analyses based on five years of food safety and quality controls

Radivoj Petronijević; Srđan Stefanović; Čaba Silađi; Aleksandar Bajčić; Jelena Ćirić; Danijela Vranić; Danka Spirić

doi:10.18485/meattech.2024.65.2.6

Radivoj Petronijević Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3901-3824
Srđan Stefanović Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8011-5654
Čaba Silađi Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Kaćanskog 13, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1933-3849
Aleksandar Bajčić Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Kaćanskog 13, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2923-4137
Jelena Ćirić https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8118-7676
Danijela Vranić Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Kaćanskog 13, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7192-488X
Danka Spirić Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6008-7625

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18485/meattech.2024.65.2.6

Abstract

Analyses of eight groups of additives in food and animal feed for nearly five years were included in this research. Food samples were grouped according to EU directive 1333/2008 and national regulation 53/2018 into 18 food categories. A total of 4539 samples was analysed, of which the most numerous categories were meat and dairy products, with 2833 (62.4%) and 649 (14.3%) samples, respectively, and a total of 8203 analyses. Over 90% of all analyses were determinations of food colourants, inorganic anions and preservatives & sweeteners, accounting for 3478 (42.4%), 2937 (35.8%) and 1122 (13.7%) of the analyses, respectively. The least common were tartaric and fumaric acid determinations, and the food categories with the lowest numbers of analyses were: food supplements (rarest), fats and oils and fat and oil emulsions (second rarest), and sugars, syrups, honey and table-top sweeteners (third rarest). The analyses of additives are unevenly represented in food and animal feed and it is necessary to balance and harmonise them with legislative requirements. Adequate control of food additives is an important part of the regulatory requirements and can only be fulfilled by continuous monitoring of additive use in food and animal feed.