ASCORBIC-ACID - HOW IT SHOULD APPEAR IN THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS OF MEAT-PRODUCTS - A SEEMINGLY ENDLESS STORY

E 301 sodium-L-ascorbate and E 302 calcium-L-ascorbate, which are used as curing and reddening agents in the manufacture of meat products, cannot at present be classified in accordance with appendix 2 of the food labelling regulations. They are therefore given in the list of ingredients with their trade description or just as ''ascorbic acid''. The 5th regulation of 18.12.1992, which changed the food labelling regulations and other food regulations, has not made any difference to this legal position. It forbids the giving of a classification without a trade description or EC number, but does not forbid the giving merely of a trade description to additives which cannot be assigned to any classification. Once the guideline on food additives, apart from colouring and sweetening agents, has been passed, and this is expected to be in 1995, the classification ''stabilizer'' will also cover the colour-stabilizing action of an additive and this means that when this has been translated into German law the description ''stabilizer ascorbic acid'' will have to be used again.