Fact or fiction: Additives banned overseas are used here

It's a commonly-held belief that some food additives banned overseas are still used here. We asked the experts if this is possible.

Professor Ray Winger of Massey University, and former member of the board of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), says:

"There are no food additives banned overseas that are allowed here. Food additives must be approved by each country before they are allowed to be used in foods. Some additives may be approved in New Zealand which might not be approved yet in one or two countries around the world. Similarly, there are some food additives approved in some countries overseas which are not approved in New Zealand. This does not mean the additives have been banned here! The approval process is very strict, expensive and time-consuming. It takes at least a year for this process to be completed by FSANZ, and could cost up to $100,000. Some manufacturers may choose only one or two countries to have their food additives approved. This may or may
not include New Zealand."

The bottom line: Myth

Whatever your view of food additives, you can rest assured that regulators in New Zealand follow very strict rules before allowing any ingredients to be used in foods here.