Food Act Report 2009/2010 - SA Health - SA.Gov.au

Appendix 11A Survey to Assess the Levels of the Permitted AdditivesSulphur Dioxide and Nitrates, as well as the Use ofColours in Cheese and Cheese ProductsAims and Scope of the InvestigationTwenty (20) cheese products were sampled, with a focus on products specifically marketed for children.Products included cheese sticks, cheese shapes, individually wrapped cheese portions and cheese spreads.Incidental to the main survey, where the cheese was considered to be highly coloured, those samples were analysedfor the presence of artificial colours; and where claims were made on the label with respect to fat content, theproduct was also analysed for fat content.The survey also checked compliance against the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) at thepoint of sale.Background to the surveyIn recent years there has been an increase of cheese products specifically targeting young children in the marketplace.These include brightly coloured packaging with cartoon characters, individually wrapped portions, and cheeseportions shaped like well-known children’s characters or in animal shapes. This could be related to an increase inHealthy Eating Guidelines for School Lunches, and the reduced number of child care facilities that provide meals forunder five year olds.While many surveys had previously been undertaken to review the microbiological safety of cheese products, with afocus on soft cheese, little work has been done in recent years to assess the chemical safety of cheese products andconformity to the requirements of the Code.Additionally, although cheese products are clearly labelled, parents may not be aware that the addition ofpreservatives to cheese products is permitted to prevent or slow down the growth of mould, yeast and bacteria,which may spoil food and cause severe illness in people. The most widely used preservatives are sulphites (includingsulphur dioxide), sorbates (including sorbic acid), and nitrates.It is quite uncommon for people to have allergic reactions to sorbates in foods; however sulphites may cause asthmalikesymptoms in those who have asthma or chronic allergic conditions.Additionally, although nitrates have been added to foods as a preservative for many years, some people choose toavoid them, as other studies have suggested a link between consumption of high levels of nitrates in foods and longtermhealth risks such as cancer.In the last 10 years there has only been one study that considered the presence of additives in cheese products. It istherefore timely and appropriate to ensure that mandatory limits for these additives are adhered to in cheese products.Food Act Report Year ending 30 June 2010 page 90