Smoke Flavourings
smoke flavouring, smoke flavoring, smoke flavour, smoke flavor, liquid smoke, smoke condensate, smoke flavouring preparation, smoke flavoring preparation
What it is
Smoke flavourings are complex mixtures produced from condensed wood smoke and fractions of that condensate, then added to foods to provide or reinforce a smoky flavour. They are different from flavour produced by smoking the food itself.
Why BOTIA flags it
Smoke flavourings are complex mixtures made from condensed wood smoke and fractions of that condensate; purification can reduce some potentially hazardous constituents, but composition varies by product. JECFA gave only provisional acceptance to smoke flavourings meeting suitable specifications for foods traditionally treated by smoking because safety data were limited, and current JECFA specifications limit benzo[a]pyrene to 2 µg/kg; EFSA's 2023 renewal assessments could not rule out genotoxicity concerns for any of the eight products assessed. The EU deleted the ten former primary products from its authorised list; the transition ended for most food categories on 1 July 2026 and continues until 1 July 2029 for specified cheese, meat, processed fish and fish-roe categories.
BOTIA CAN
- Detect explicit smoke flavouring, smoke flavoring, liquid smoke, smoke condensate and closely related declared ingredient terms.
- Explain what smoke flavourings are, the JECFA evaluation and the current EU transition, and distinguish an added smoke flavouring from traditional smoking when the label provides that information.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Infer that a food contains an added smoke flavouring merely because its name or packaging describes it as smoked or smoky.
- Identify the exact primary smoke product, its composition, dose or genotoxicity profile from a generic smoke-flavouring declaration alone.