Posted on April 30, 2013
by chinational
NEW EU POSITIVE LIST OF APPROVED INGREDIENTS in 2000 flavoring substances in
our foods!

Looks like strawberry from, tastes like Strawberry, on the packaging is a strawberry – but in truth the yogurt contains no fruit, only strawberry flavor.
Sounds like a rip-off, but it is completely legal as long as it is correctly specified on the packaging.
Because a fruit flavored yogurt does not necessarily contain an aroma that actually originates from the fruit pictured on the mug.
Since this week in the European Union, a new list of permitted flavoring substances applies.Only those that are on the EU list of flavorings must use an 18-month transition period or the food industry. With the introduction of these so-called positive list, the European Commission has indeed re-evaluated over 2000 flavors, but the listing criticized the Consumer Hamburg as “meaningless and useless.”
Because none of the terms listed in the list of chemical substances find themselves on a food package one on one again, the information value of the flavors directory for consumers thus lies at zero, which consumer advocates say.
For consumers, there remains only a close look at the ingredients list, the differences are in the details:
► Thus, between “ natural flavors “ and “ flavorings distinction “. The categories of “nature-identical” and “artificial flavors” were abolished.
► strawberry flavor consists of several 100 different substances. Available on the product simply “flavor” and behind the chemically defined substances with flavoring properties. As “natural” flavors marked must be obtained from natural ingredients, but not necessarily of the fruit, which can be seen on the packaging. Instead, for example, fungi and yeasts can be used sawdust.
► Only if “natural strawberry flavor” on the package, it must be won to 95 percent of strawberries.
The reason for the massive flavor use: cost savings . So can be flavored according to Consumer with raspberry flavor for six cents, for example, 100 kg yogurt. Real raspberries would cost around 30 euros.
Although it is not harmful, the increasing aromatization has negative effects. The intense flavor of flavors in processed foods may tempt you to overeat. Many foods are also überaromatisiert that shapes the taste sensation. Untreated no longer tastes especially children, to warn the consumer advocate.
The E-numbers mix-up
In addition to the flavors are often many other additives in food. Many of these additives are abbreviated as E-numbers. Behind many E numbers in food coloring to hide (eg E 123 Amaranth, in the United States because of suspected cancer forbidden), sweeteners (eg E 952 cyclamate) and preservatives (eg E 200 sorbic acid, concern for Allergy).
What lies behind the numbers, you can at the supermarket shelves now find out with a view of the smartphone:
► The app “E numbers” provides descriptions and rated the danger. Simply enter the numeric keypad. For iPhone (1.79 EUR), Android (1.91 euros).
► lists of e-numbers is available from the consumer centers in book: (Consumer, 4.90 euros), “What the E-numbers mean.”
The “trade-Chinese” on the ingredient list
A glance at the list of ingredients is very important to get an idea of the quality of food – but it is not easy to interpret the terms specified therein properly. Because in order to disguise the true contents, is often used in the linguistic tricks:
► Example flavor enhancer : Martin regulator of the Better Business Bureau foodwatch Association says: “There is a widespread consumer deception, use glutamate-containing yeast extract, on the packaging but with the note” to advertise without flavor enhancer “. The manufacturers use a legal loophole here from: Although yeast extract enhances the flavor and is therefore also used, but it is not by legal definition as a flavor enhancer. “
“ Hardly a finished food product is offered with no additives – particularly can be with convenience foods with a high degree of processing of the case. Color additives, preserve, influence the taste and / or provide for a uniform consistency , “says Nora Dittrich of the NRW consumer.
Rough rule of thumb: the longer the ingredient list, the higher is often the degree of processing and the more likely are many additives .
Also important: note nutrition tables, pay special attention to the fat, sugar and salt content, says Dittrich.
The Consumer Association recommends consuming no more than six grams of salt per day.Finished products exceed the amount but often many times over. An excessive salt intake can mean a risk for heart disease (high blood pressure). Found a frozen pizza from the Consumer contained, for example, 6.8 g of salt per serving.
Risk due to too much sugar
Many think that in savory (finished) courts is no sugar, but otherwise the food would taste sweet. Wrong!
“Sugar is fat as a flavor carrier and is often used for flavoring in ready meals, snacks, ketchup, canned and cured. Consumers therefore often take on high amounts of sugar over finished products without suspect it, “says Monika Vogel Pohl of the NRW consumer. Dips, salad dressings, pickles, even – everywhere can be something sweet spice.
How to recognize sugar bombs?
Depending specified earlier in the list of ingredients, the sugar (eg, sucrose, glucose, glucose syrup, dextrose, maltose, fructose, lactose, see separate box), the more there is.
One way to classify a sugar content of a food at least a bit, is the traffic check of the consumer centers. One can get there a little card on the, “medium”, are “high” divides the content of fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar also just in the categories of “low”. “Foods with 12.5 grams of sugar per 100 are red, so classified as high,” said Pohl bird.
Who owns a smartphone can use the free app Barcoo scan the barcode and determine the sugar content.
Previously, there was no nutritional information for the labeling requirements, unless the packaging is awarded a certain nutritional value, such as “reduced fat” for example. A law (EC Regulation No 1169/2011) is effective until the end of 2016. Then the exact sugar content must be indicated on each product.