Opinion

Additive reduction urged

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-18 10:50

The Ministry of Health's Department of Supervision is soliciting public opinion on a proposed ban on benzoyl peroxide and calcium peroxide as flour brighteners, raising hopes that the protracted debate over safety, necessity and legitimacy may finally come to an end.

The debate has been going on for almost 20 years, but it has largely been limited to an industry insiders' discourse, which has been more or less hijacked by business interests. The authorities' long absence has stirred up indignation at the seeming disregard for public concerns.

People have reasons to be worried because of the claims that the additive damages the nutrition content and its long-term accumulation in the human body might induce or trigger cancer. The industry counters by saying it is harmless and can improve the properties of flour products. With such conflicting claims the Ministry of Health has an obligation to step in and come up with a solution.

In fact, the ministry proposes to prohibit flour producers from adding the two chemicals in their products from Dec 1, 2011. The ministry has provided a number of reasons for the measure.

First, as processing techniques have improved, manufacturers can produce equally good-looking flour without using the additives and many of them have now stopped using benzoyl peroxide.

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Second, surveys by grain authorities have shown consumers are generally against adding the chemical to wheat flour.

Third, existing processing methods cannot guarantee even distribution of the additive, making excessive intake a possibility.

So the logic here is: Although no safety problems have been found in the use of permitted dosages of benzoyl peroxide, it should be removed from the official list of food additives because it is technically unnecessary. The same applies to calcium peroxide.

We fully endorse the ban. Like most consumers, we prefer the original look, smell, taste and nutrition of flour. Although there is no solid evidence of harm, there is no convincing proof of safety either. Given the pending questions about safety, we would rather live without unnecessary additives.

But there could be a much better solution. Up to now, the safety concerns regarding the two chemicals remain largely unaddressed, even the current proposal to ban them is a result of necessity.

Of course, with the two additives gone, so will our worries about them. Or so we hope.

However, the debate over food safety would be more meaningful if the Ministry of Health shares what it knows about additives in our food.