Report of the Scientific Committee of the AESAN in relation to the use of hydrogen peroxide as a processing aid in the processing of blood products and cephalopods

The current study evaluates the possibility of increasing the use of hydrogen peroxide (oxygenated water-H2O2) as a processing aid in the processing of hemoderivatives and cephalopods. Hydrogen peroxide is considered to be GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and non-carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). In addition, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) of the European Commission considers its use, up to 6%, in toothpaste to be safe. In various countries, including some of the European Union, the use of this agent in foods has already been authorised, such as in the decontamination of water for human consumption and as a processing aid in intestines. In this report it has been proposed to increase its use in the bleaching of blood, and its fractions, and also on cephalopods due to bacteriostatic effect. Regarding the use of hydrogen peroxide for the processing of cephalopods and hemoderivatives under the conditions proposed by the AFCA (Association of Manufacturers and Distributors of Food Additives and Supplements) and based on the data from the different studies that are brought together in this report, such as the absence of residues and the non-modification of lipid oxidation or proteins, the Scientific Committee concludes that hydrogen peroxide poses no risk to the consumer and can be used, always following the conditions included in this reported.ES; en; pfefsa@msssi.e