EU Food Safety Committee Approves Smoke Flavour Regulation Implementation

28 Oct 2013 --- Red Arrow International is pleased to announce that the EU Commission’s Standing Committee on Food Safety has voted to approve the final implementation phase of the Regulation on Smoke Flavours. The implementation phase establishes conditions of use for Red Arrow’s smoke flavours which guarantee the highest food safety of meats, fish, cheese and food products using Red Arrow smoke flavours.

The Regulation on Smoke Flavours began with a comprehensive evaluation of all smoke flavours that were offered to the EU marketplace, including Red Arrows two product lines sold under the trade names of “Smokez” and “Enviro”. These two product lines passed the EFSA evaluation procedure, and were approved for continued use as the Commission moved forward with establishing conditions of use. A somewhat unique feature of the two product lines is that the “Smokez” product line has a flavour application, and can also be used to replace traditional wood smoking. The “Enviro” product line is primarily intended for replacing traditional wood smoke, and as a result is approved with the highest industry usage rate for smoking meats and fish. This is an important distinction for smoked products that require a darker smoke color and traditional smoke flavor.

Red Arrow worked closely with the Commission and the members of the Standing Committee to give them a better understanding of the food safety benefits of smoke flavour, and to make the distinction between its use as a flavouring and use as a complete replacement for traditional wood smoking.

Any concern that Food Manufacturers may have had over the use of smoke flavours, including Red Arrow’s “Smokez” and “Enviro” product lines, is now behind us. Christopher Gutman, Managing Director of Red Arrow International, said “Now that any uncertainty over the use of smoke flavours is eliminated I expect manufacturers to move more quickly to take advantage of the environmental and food safety benefits that smoking with Red Arrow smokes can provide.”

Red Arrow is the world’s leading manufacturer of smoke flavour. Smoke flavour is the purified, condensed natural vapor from sustainably-sourced hardwood sawdust. The company’s products are sold world-wide through a stocking distributor network that provides timely deliveries to its customers.