12-5+NITRITE+ISSUE



Regulation of Using Potassium Nitrite This is the regulation from the government about uses of potassium nitrite in foods "Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan Republik Indonesia Nomor 722/MenKes/Per/IX/88 tentang Bahan Tambahan Makanan". Based on this regulation, the potassium nitrite in foods must be under 125mg/kg in meats (foods)

Regulation of Using Allura Red "Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan Republik Indonesia Nomor 722/MenKes/Per/IX/88 tentang Bahan Tambahan Makanan" This is the regulation that set the uses of allura red in Indonesia. The vision of this regulation is 70mg/kg of foods. This regulation apply in all kinds of foods includes foods for children under 8 years. But from FDA, uses of allura red is not allowed in children's foods.

Allura Red AC is a red food dye. It usually comes as a sodium salt but cans Also be Used as both calcium and potassium salts, with the IUPAC name of disodium 6-hydroxy-5-((2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-sulfophenyl) azo)-2-napthalenesulfonate by any other name 2-naphtalenesulfonic acid disodium salt, as a trade name that is, Allura Red, Food Red 17, CI 16 035, FD & C Red 40. This compound has physical properties Such as, molecular formula of this compound is C18H14N2Na2O8S2, Molar Mass 496.42 mol -1, dark red powder, in water solution it has a maximum absorbance at 504 nm and has a melting point >300 0C.

It is Used as a food dye and has the E number E129. Allura Red AC was Originally introduced in the United States as a replacement for the use of Amaranth as a food coloring. Because scientific tests indicate that Amaranth flowers can trigger cancer. (The reason is not entirely logical, Allura Red also has the potential to cause cancer). Allura Red AC is made of liquid asphalt (the fluid that is a byproduct of the distillation of coal to coal gas or coke). Flammable liquid asphalt and is often used in shampoos that are designed unruk kill head lice. This material is also used to make the Tylenol. Allura Red AC does not cause cancer, but can cause nausea and other side effects. Nevertheless, this material has been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and is commonly found in the confectionery and soft drinks. Based on that fact, Allura Red AC is one of many High Production Volume Chemicals.

Also Allura Red AC is also used as a substitute for cochineal and carmine color that is two red dye for foods derived from bedbugs, rather female cochineal bugs (a type of bedbugs that live in the U.S. family Dactylopiidae). Cuisine red dye produced by drying and crush the whole body of bedbugs, while carmine color (dark red) is another form of cochineal powder. Bedbugs were usually killed by immersing them in boiling water - after a while dissolved in the water until the level of red color tertyentu - whether it's like a young orange or red. 155 000 bedbug is required to make 1 kg of material. Cochineal has been used for hundreds of years and also used as a dye that is very popular.

It can be concluded that Allura Red AC is used solely for efficiency, given the difficulty of making a red dye from materials that exist in nature.

In Europe, Allura Red AC is prohibited for consumption by children. In some European countries such as Denmark, Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Sweden banned the use of these dyes. European Union approved the use of Allura Red AC as food coloring, but the local law of the European Union countries prohibit the preserved food coloring. In Norway, food coloring was banned in the year 1978-2001, in which the azo dyes may only be used in alcoholic beverages and some fish products.

In the United States, Allura Red AC is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in cosmetics, drugs, and food. It is Used in Some tattoo inks and is Used in many products, Such as soft drinks, children's medications, and cotton candy. On June 30, 2010, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Called for the FDA to ban Red 40. Executive Director Michael Jacobson said, "These synthetic chemicals do absolutely nothing to improv the nutritional quality or safety of foods, but the trigger behavior problems in children and, possibly, cancer in anybody."

See, how this prohibition of the use of dyes in foods in some developed countries, what about Indonesia?

Potassium Nitrite Potassium nitrite (KNO2) is a type of salt to form solid white or light yellow with a molar mass 85.10379 g / mol, 1.914986 c/cm3 density, melting point 440.02 ° C, has solubility in water 281 g/100 mL in 0 ° C and 413 g/100 mL in 100 ° C. Like other nitrite salts Such as sodium nitrite, potassium nitrite is toxic if swallowed, and laboratory tests suggest it That May be mutagenic or teratogenic. This has a food additive code E249. This preservative is similar to sodium nitrite.

This material may inhibit bacterial growth in a short time, such as Clostridium botulinum (the bacteria pathogen that causes food poisoning), Clostiridium perfringens, and Stapylococcus aureus in meat and fish processing. The amount of added nitrite is usually 0.1% or 1 g / kg of the material preserved. For nitrate 0.2% or 2 grams / kg of material. When more than this amount can cause poisoning, but can affect the ability of blood cells carry oxygen to various body organs, causing breathing difficulties, headaches, anemia, kidney inflammation, and vomiting-muntah.Sering used on the meat to retain the red color to appear always fresh, such as corned beef or sausage.

The provision of quality sausages under the Indonesian National Standard (SNI 01-3820-1995) are: 67 percent maximum moisture content, ash maximum of 3 percent, at least 13 percent protein, maximum 25 percent fat, and carbohydrates up to 8 percent. In fact, many sausages on the market that have a nutritional composition is far below the standards set. This shows the amount of meat consumption is less or use of inappropriate material composition sausage standard.