China bans whitening additives in flour

China bans whitening additives in flour

 In the month of May, using wheat flour whiteners will not be allowed in China. Examples of such whiteners are benzoyl peroxide and calcium peroxide. They can be harm the respiratory system if large amounts of it are consumed. As additives, they can't exceed 60 milligrams per kilogram. Flour manufacturers feel that the flour will not whiten effectively if they comply with the legal level. The Chinese Ministry of Health has removed licenses for the food additives since the beginning of March. Chen Zhu, the Health Minister, said that "we will stop adopting any unnecessary food additives". Banning the food additives can have positive and negative effects. Banning whitening additives can make wheat flour safer to ingest and use. However, flour manufacturers may continue to exceed the legal level of benzoyl peroxide and/or calcium peroxide. Research on food additives may decrease because of the ban.

Jia/Beijing, China, Hepeng. "China Bans Whitening Additives in Flour." Royal Society of Chemistry, the Largest Organisation in Europe for Advancing the Chemical Sciences. 14 Mar. 2011. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. <http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2011/March/14031101.asp>.

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2011/March/14031101.asp