The Vietnam Food Administration under the Ministry of Health assured consumers on July 11 that the food coloring additive E102 is safe to use in cooking foods, within permissible limits.
This was in response to public concerns over a recent rumor that E102 additive used in dyeing noodles a yellow color has dangerous side effects to health.
‘E102’ is the symbol used for artificial coloring called Tartrazine, an additive popularly used in the food industry. Excessive use of it can cause hyperactivity, poor concentration in children below 9 years of age and impotency in men.
However, the administration has now cleared the additive allowing permissible limits up to 7.5 mg per body weight per day, after consultation with experts at the 34th Codex Committee at Geneva in Switzerland.
As of now, only Japan and Korea have imposed limits on this food coloring, with concerns of allergy related maladies.
Vietnam has approved the use of E102 additive as long as it is used within permissible limits only.
Public concern over E102 additive was initially raised after a dispute between two noodle manufacturers Acecook Vietnam and Masan Food over the latter’s misleading advertisement last month. The advertisement showed Masan Food’s Tien Vua instant noodle compared with other unnamed noodle brands.
Some consumers say they were persuaded by the advertisement to switch to instant noodles that were free of E102 additive.
Currently, E102 is used in nearly 90 percent of instant noodle products available in the domestic market and its ratio is clearly specified on the products’ labels.
