More than half of German consumers try to avoid food additives, reveals BfR survey

10 Sep 2021 --- A survey by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has shed light on the consumer perception of food additives citing that 55 percent of the population in Germany try to avoid additives when buying food.

“Many people worry about possible health effects. At the same time, they do not feel well informed about food additives,” says BfR president professor Dr. Andreas Hensel.

“Food additives undergo rigorous assessments in Europe. They may only be used if their intended use is not linked to any health impairments.”

Why use additives?
Whether they are dyes or preservatives, emulsifiers or sweeteners – ingredient lists of sweets, beverages and other processed foods often contain food additives. 

Consumers are increasingly seeking clean label products.Additives are defined as a substance with or without nutritional value that is added to food for technological purposes. 

For example, dyes affect the appearance, emulsifiers the texture and sweeteners the taste of food – properties that most of the respondents of the study rate as important or very important. Nevertheless, more than half try to avoid additives when buying food. 

For a significant proportion of the respondents, the perceived health risk of additives is greater than the rated benefit – in particular, this applies to sweeteners, dyes and flavor enhancers (each more than 40 percent). 

Above all, possible intolerances and the promotion of cancer and obesity are risks that the respondents associate with food additives.

Knowledge is “low”
The results further show that the population rates their knowledge of food additives as low. 

On the one hand, people do not feel well informed, for example, regarding the functions or possible health risks of food additives. 

On the other hand, the results show that even commonly used food additives are unknown to many. Over 40 percent of respondents state they do not know the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate and the sweetener aspartame. 

Not all are aware of the primary functional group of individual food additives. Though most know that carotene is used as a dye, only around a quarter of respondents know that lactic acid is mainly used as a preservative.

Defining usage 
The term food additive is defined in Regulation (EC) No. 1333/2008. 

Food additives may only be used in the EU if they have previously been approved. The prerequisite for this is that the substance is harmless to health for the intended use. Additives are added to food for technological purposes.

Furthermore, there must be a technological need for the additive, and its use must not mislead consumers. A food additive approved in the EU is given an E number and must be specified in the list of ingredients.

Advancing in clean label
In a bid to be more conscious of what they are putting in their bodies, consumers are increasingly seeking clean label products with easy-to-understand short ingredients lists.

This challenges industry to deliver a certain type of natural product without a clear definition of clean label to begin with. Nonetheless, the trend intersects with other current F&B demands, from healthy offerings to the attention on provenance. 

The clean label movement epitomizes industry’s global targets to slash the artificial out of food’s “laundry list” of ingredients. It is propelled by the market appeal of “all-natural,” “minimally processed,” and “non-GMO” distinctions, as reported by FoodIngredientsFirst in June.

Notably, the demand for natural solutions that are safe, transparent and sustainable is driving innovation within the natural preservation space. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored food safety in general while tackling food waste and extending shelf life remain cornerstones of natural preservation.

Edited by Elizabeth Green