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Introduction: Gases in the Agro-Food Industry; From a Regulatory Perspective
C H A P T E R
1.2 Introduction: Gases in the Agro-Food Industry; From a Regulatory Perspective Catherine Simoneau European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
The word gases can conjure up visions that are either misunderstood or not perceived to their right value, yet industrial gases have an important place in the agrofood chain. In agriculture, gases are used in both animal and vegetable production. In animal production, gases are used as anesthetics prior to slaughter or for oxygenation purposes in aquaculture. In vegetal production, they are used for enriching greenhouses; providing a controlled atmosphere for maturation, ripening, and storage; or toward the control of pests, for example. They also have postindustrial uses for wastewater treatments in the food industry. In food processing, gases such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide are used toward preservation, ripening, spoilage prevention, freezing, chilling, carbonation, and many more applications in a large number of foodstuffs such as bakery and dairy items, beverages, fish and seafood, fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, prepared meals, and more. In particular, refrigeration processes such as chilling, freezing, subcooling, hardening, or cryogrinding use cryogenic industrial gases such as liquid nitrogen. Gases are also a key component of the
Gases in Agro-food Processes https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-812465-9.00002-5
preservation of minimally processed foods such as fish, meats, fruits, and vegetables. One foodprocessing application that uses industrial gases is modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), a process where a pure gas such as nitrogen or a gas mixture is placed as the breathable atmosphere in a package in order to slow down microbial growth or spoilage such as discoloration, oxidation, or moisture loss. Gases also provide inert environments, or together with hermetic sealing can serve as evidence markers for tampering (as interference with the packaging would be noticeable). From a regulatory standpoint, the basis at the European level for food safety is Regulation (EC) 178/2002, which stipulates the general principles and requirements of the EU food law, establishes the European Food Safety Authority, and lays down food-safety procedures. Those foodsafety procedures include traceability in the food chain in order to foster trust and enable consistent compliance from one actor to the next while ensuring the efficient and rapid withdrawal from the market of any food that poses health concerns to consumers. As a regulation, it was immediately binding upon publication
5
# 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
6
1.2. INTRODUCTION: GASES IN THE AGRO-FOOD INDUSTRY; FROM A REGULATORY PERSPECTIVE
for member states of the European Union and cannot be modified unless at the EU level. The regulation gives a definition of food that “includes any substance that is intended to be, or is reasonably expected to be, ingested by humans.” The reference to “reasonably expected” is formulated to ensure that a substance that may be reasonably expected to find its way into the food supply chain but may also find its way into different industry sectors is handled with the same care as food until it is clear that it will not become a food. This implies that industrial gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc., in the production/distribution process have to be treated as if they are foods until specifically designated otherwise. It also confirms that food includes any substance intentionally incorporated into the food during its manufacture, preparation, or treatment. The European legislation therefore requires that foods, including gases supplied to the food industry, have to meet rigorous standards to ensure food safety. Food gases are defined as gases in liquid, gaseous, or solid form that are supplied to the food industry and used as additives, processing aids, or ingredients in contact with food. When used as a processing aid, food additives, or packaging gases, fall under Regulation EC 1333/2008. This regulation defines food additives and processing aids and prescribes labeling requirements. Food additives include packaging gases that include any gas, other than air, introduced into a container before, during, or after placing food in that container. It also includes propellants that expel a foodstuff from a container. The Regulation of food additives specifies purity criteria requirements. In addition, materials and articles intended to come in contact with food (food contact materials, FCMs) are all materials that are intended or likely to be in contact with food such as food packaging, kitchenware, and tableware as well as materials for food manufacturing, preparation, processing, storage, and distribution. They
can thus influence food safety and quality throughout the whole food supply chain. These materials fall under Regulation EC 1935/2004, which establishes the principles of safety assessment and management regarding the risk of chemical transfer from such materials into foods. While some materials are in addition covered by EU-wide specific measures, others can be overseen by national rules, depending on mutual recognition. The regulation sets out general requirements that all FCMs must be manufactured in accordance with good manufacturing practices (GMP) so that they are safe and do not change the properties of food in unacceptable ways. In the case of FCMs, separate rules on GMPs are laid down in Commission Regulation EC 2023/2006, which covers all stages of the supply chain including production, storage, repackaging, and distribution of food gases to the final user. In addition, food hygiene is paramount to food safety. In this context, Regulation EC 852/2004 provides measures and conditions necessary to control hazards and to ensure a foodstuff’s fitness for human consumption, taking into account its intended use. The primary responsibility for hygiene rests with the food business operators. They must ensure that all stages of production, processing, and distribution of food under their control satisfy the relevant hygiene requirements, which include the operation of food safety programs and procedures based on hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) principles. These considerations imply that the adequate uses of gases in the food industry include a number of regulatory frameworks and must respond to manufacturing and food safety requirements, including in terms of formulation components and their purity criteria as well as hygiene requirements, labeling, and traceability. In this overall multifaceted context, this book is quite unique in its kind and aims to provide extensive information on industrial gases in the agrofood processes.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.2. INTRODUCTION: GASES IN THE AGRO-FOOD INDUSTRY; FROM A REGULATORY PERSPECTIVE
The first set of chapters (Chapters 2-5) covers gas properties and the production of different food-grade gases as well as their safety. The second set of chapters (Chapters 6-7) provides extensive information on the use of industrial gases in agrofood processes, both in agriculture (animal and vegetable production) and food processing for all different food sectors. The third set of chapters (Chapters 8-11) covers
7
wastewater treatment, sanitation, cleaning, and pH control in the food industry as well as fire prevention. The final chapters (Chapters 12-13) give market trends, development perspectives, and outlooks. This work therefore offers the reader comprehensive information that can be of use for academia, industries, risk assessors, or regulators.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.2 Introduction: Gases in the Agro-Food Industry; From a Regulatory Perspective Catherine Simoneau European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
The word gases can conjure up visions that are either misunderstood or not perceived to their right value, yet industrial gases have an important place in the agrofood chain. In agriculture, gases are used in both animal and vegetable production. In animal production, gases are used as anesthetics prior to slaughter or for oxygenation purposes in aquaculture. In vegetal production, they are used for enriching greenhouses; providing a controlled atmosphere for maturation, ripening, and storage; or toward the control of pests, for example. They also have postindustrial uses for wastewater treatments in the food industry. In food processing, gases such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide are used toward preservation, ripening, spoilage prevention, freezing, chilling, carbonation, and many more applications in a large number of foodstuffs such as bakery and dairy items, beverages, fish and seafood, fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, prepared meals, and more. In particular, refrigeration processes such as chilling, freezing, subcooling, hardening, or cryogrinding use cryogenic industrial gases such as liquid nitrogen. Gases are also a key component of the
Gases in Agro-food Processes https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-812465-9.00002-5
preservation of minimally processed foods such as fish, meats, fruits, and vegetables. One foodprocessing application that uses industrial gases is modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), a process where a pure gas such as nitrogen or a gas mixture is placed as the breathable atmosphere in a package in order to slow down microbial growth or spoilage such as discoloration, oxidation, or moisture loss. Gases also provide inert environments, or together with hermetic sealing can serve as evidence markers for tampering (as interference with the packaging would be noticeable). From a regulatory standpoint, the basis at the European level for food safety is Regulation (EC) 178/2002, which stipulates the general principles and requirements of the EU food law, establishes the European Food Safety Authority, and lays down food-safety procedures. Those foodsafety procedures include traceability in the food chain in order to foster trust and enable consistent compliance from one actor to the next while ensuring the efficient and rapid withdrawal from the market of any food that poses health concerns to consumers. As a regulation, it was immediately binding upon publication
5
# 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
6
1.2. INTRODUCTION: GASES IN THE AGRO-FOOD INDUSTRY; FROM A REGULATORY PERSPECTIVE
for member states of the European Union and cannot be modified unless at the EU level. The regulation gives a definition of food that “includes any substance that is intended to be, or is reasonably expected to be, ingested by humans.” The reference to “reasonably expected” is formulated to ensure that a substance that may be reasonably expected to find its way into the food supply chain but may also find its way into different industry sectors is handled with the same care as food until it is clear that it will not become a food. This implies that industrial gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc., in the production/distribution process have to be treated as if they are foods until specifically designated otherwise. It also confirms that food includes any substance intentionally incorporated into the food during its manufacture, preparation, or treatment. The European legislation therefore requires that foods, including gases supplied to the food industry, have to meet rigorous standards to ensure food safety. Food gases are defined as gases in liquid, gaseous, or solid form that are supplied to the food industry and used as additives, processing aids, or ingredients in contact with food. When used as a processing aid, food additives, or packaging gases, fall under Regulation EC 1333/2008. This regulation defines food additives and processing aids and prescribes labeling requirements. Food additives include packaging gases that include any gas, other than air, introduced into a container before, during, or after placing food in that container. It also includes propellants that expel a foodstuff from a container. The Regulation of food additives specifies purity criteria requirements. In addition, materials and articles intended to come in contact with food (food contact materials, FCMs) are all materials that are intended or likely to be in contact with food such as food packaging, kitchenware, and tableware as well as materials for food manufacturing, preparation, processing, storage, and distribution. They
can thus influence food safety and quality throughout the whole food supply chain. These materials fall under Regulation EC 1935/2004, which establishes the principles of safety assessment and management regarding the risk of chemical transfer from such materials into foods. While some materials are in addition covered by EU-wide specific measures, others can be overseen by national rules, depending on mutual recognition. The regulation sets out general requirements that all FCMs must be manufactured in accordance with good manufacturing practices (GMP) so that they are safe and do not change the properties of food in unacceptable ways. In the case of FCMs, separate rules on GMPs are laid down in Commission Regulation EC 2023/2006, which covers all stages of the supply chain including production, storage, repackaging, and distribution of food gases to the final user. In addition, food hygiene is paramount to food safety. In this context, Regulation EC 852/2004 provides measures and conditions necessary to control hazards and to ensure a foodstuff’s fitness for human consumption, taking into account its intended use. The primary responsibility for hygiene rests with the food business operators. They must ensure that all stages of production, processing, and distribution of food under their control satisfy the relevant hygiene requirements, which include the operation of food safety programs and procedures based on hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) principles. These considerations imply that the adequate uses of gases in the food industry include a number of regulatory frameworks and must respond to manufacturing and food safety requirements, including in terms of formulation components and their purity criteria as well as hygiene requirements, labeling, and traceability. In this overall multifaceted context, this book is quite unique in its kind and aims to provide extensive information on industrial gases in the agrofood processes.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.2. INTRODUCTION: GASES IN THE AGRO-FOOD INDUSTRY; FROM A REGULATORY PERSPECTIVE
The first set of chapters (Chapters 2-5) covers gas properties and the production of different food-grade gases as well as their safety. The second set of chapters (Chapters 6-7) provides extensive information on the use of industrial gases in agrofood processes, both in agriculture (animal and vegetable production) and food processing for all different food sectors. The third set of chapters (Chapters 8-11) covers
7
wastewater treatment, sanitation, cleaning, and pH control in the food industry as well as fire prevention. The final chapters (Chapters 12-13) give market trends, development perspectives, and outlooks. This work therefore offers the reader comprehensive information that can be of use for academia, industries, risk assessors, or regulators.
1. INTRODUCTION