• Up to date information
  • On the pulse
  • Interest in our Industry
nanoparticle___food_labelling_services_1469390866

Undeclared nanoparticles in four French foods triggers call for crackdown

It is feared other food products could contain nanoparticles not listed on the label, the French civic environmental protection association Agir pour l'Environnement which commissioned the test warned.

However, a spokesperson for Mondelēz – the owner of two of the products listed – told FoodNavigator the nanoparticles found in its products are not “engineered nanomaterial” and hence are fully compliant with EU legislation.

Other experts argued that calls for a halt on all nanoparticles in food products is extreme when dangers are unproven.

The tests

Nanoparticles are increasingly used in food products to improve colour, taste and texture.

The foods tested were LU Napolitain chocolate biscuits, Malabar tutti-frutti flavoured bubble gum (both by Mondelēz) and William Saurin canned veal stew – which all contained titanium dioxide nanoparticles (dye additive E171). The fourth was Carrefour’s mixed spices for guacamole, containing silica dioxide nanoparticles (anti-caking additive E551).

The Agir pour l'Environnement said that a review of supermarket shelves showed none of the products stated the presence of nanoparticles on the label as required under EU law.

 

You can read the full article HERE

 

Food Labelling Services comments:

The Food Information for Consumers regulation EU 1169/2011 clearly states that all ingredients present in the form of engineered nanomaterials must be clearly indicated in the list of ingredients, followed by ‘(nano)’. If the nano ingredients were known to be in the products in the above article, they should have been labelled. THe use of nano ingredients has been associated with toxic effects such as DNA damage, disruption of cellular function and weakened immune system.