Is Carbon Monoxide Permitted as a Modified Atmosphere Packaging Component?
Is Carbon Monoxide Permitted as a Modified Atmosphere Packaging Component?
I have read that the use of carbon monoxide in contact with food has been banned by the European Union. Having spent many hours trying to track down this elusive piece of legislation, can either provide me a copy of the relevant legislation or at least point me in the right direction? Also, I am confused by an apparent contradiction to this supposed legislation contained in the article found here. Can you advise why this appears to give support to the use of carbon monoxide in contact with food under certain conditions if there is in fact legislation banning it's use?
There is no specific legislation on the European Union (EU) banning the use of carbon monoxide (CO) as a food contact material; however, it is not authorized as a food additive in the EU. In response to a request to use CO in tuna fish, the EU's Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH) in 2003 expressed concern that consumers could be misled as to the freshness of the product and concluded that CO "would fall under the definition of a food additive and was thus not recognized." A report on the meeting can be found here. The article you refer to references a 2001 opinion by EU's Scientific Committee on Food concerning a gas mixture that contained less than 0.5% of CO.