§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many chemical additives are permitted in the baking of the standard white loaf; 609W if he will list all such substances that bakers are permitted to use under the bread and flour regulations; and if the use of any of these substances is banned in other EEC countries.
§ Mr. WigginThe bread and flour regulations 1963 (as amended) permit a number of additives to be used in a standard white loaf. These are listed in the table below. Only a small number of these additives would be used in any one loaf, as many are alternatives and many are used only under certain conditions.
I regret that information on the use of these substances in other member States of the European Community is not readily available.
Following are the additives:
- Enzyme active preparations;
- Yeast stimulating preparations;
- Acetic acid, monocalcium phosphate, acid sodium pyrophosphate, lactic acid, potassium acid tartrate and sodium diacetate.
- Ascorbic acid, potassium bromate, ammonium persulphate, potassium persulphate, monocalcium phosphate, and chlorine dioxide containing not more than 20 per centum of chlorine (calculated by volume), benzoyl peroxide (not more than 50 ppm) azodicarbonamide, L-cysteine hydrochloride and L-cysteine hydrochloride monohydrate.
- Preservatives, the use of which is permitted in bread and flour by the Preservatives in Food Regulations 1979.
- Emulsifiers and stabilisers, the use of which is permitted in bread by the Emulsifiers and Stabilisers in Food Regulations, 1975 (as amended).
- Antioxidants in an amount permitted to be carried over from the use, as an ingredient in bread, of a food specified in the Anti-oxidant in Food Regulations 1978.
- Substances used as excipients or diluents of the optional ingredients listed above.