The Ministry of Health Intends to Disable the Flour Brightener

The Ministry of Health Intends to Disable the Flour Brightener

December 15, the website of the Ministry of Health supervision of flour on whether prohibiting the use of whitening agent - benzoyl peroxide and calcium peroxide for public comment. By the announcement aroused wide attention.

Ministry of Health Description: brightener to bring quality and safety risks

Supervision Bureau of the Ministry of Health issued an information note that the competent authorities after an investigation of food, flour made no use of benzoyl peroxide have been necessary, consumers are generally required wheat flour to keep its original color, smell, taste and nutrition components to minimize the intake of chemical substances, generally do not accept the benzoyl peroxide containing wheat flour. Meanwhile, the addition of a limited national standard, the existing process is difficult to add it evenly, easily lead content exceeded, bringing quality and safety hazard.

Note that, although using benzoyl peroxide did not find the required security issue, but has no flour processing technology using benzoyl peroxide need for food additives, therefore proposed to remove benzoyl peroxide. Flour for the same whitening agent as”calcium peroxide", in view of the need no longer technology, intended to be revoked.

Reduce the impact of the proposed transitional period of one year

According to a notice issued on display for comment from December 1, 2011, the ban on flour production in the use of benzoyl peroxide and calcium peroxide. Earlier in accordance with the relevant standards and the use of benzoyl peroxide calcium peroxide flour and its products, you can sell to the product warranty period.

This is explained in note: In order to minimize the revocation of benzoyl peroxide effects on the industry, will set a policy adjustment on implementation time around, the main consideration of flour production, sale and import cycle and so on.


Pros: human health should be put first

Food Research Center, Jinan University, endorsed the abolition of Fu Liang benzoyl peroxide whitening agent such as flour. "A lot of manufacturers are very serious abuse of brighteners," he says whitening agent can only sell the improvement phase and taste of food security and improved nutrition does not make sense. "Food additives should give top priority to human health and safety; respect the original characteristics of the food, rather than the expense of human health and survival."

Fu Liang pointed out that as a strong oxidizing flour brightener, it is easy to swap oxidation of nutrients, including the amount of flour itself to a few vitamins, but also its strong oxidizing effects on the mucosal cell damage, long-term use was also a small amount of cause potential hazards.

Cons: that there is evidence of harm to come

But China Standardization Technical Committee on Food Additives director of the China Academy of Engineering, Jun-shi do not agree with benzoyl peroxide is disabled, he told this reporter yesterday that he always believed that if the flour and use of benzoyl peroxide is a security issue that must be out data to prove.

Ministry of Health draft, gives a transition period to 1 December 2011, the only ban the production of flour used in the benzoyl peroxide and calcium peroxide. In this regard, Fu Liang believes that this is a Ministry of Health responsible for the performance of manufacturers. "There are a lot of inventory on the market today, manufacturers must have some time to digest inventory."