General information
Seasoning cube to be used for improving the taste of the food.
Made from dehydrated vegetal and mineral ingredients only, including seasonings and/or flavouring substances, edible fats, sodium chloride (salt), spices and their natural extracts or distillates or other foodstuffs to improve the taste, and such additives as are permitted in the section on food additives below.
Storage in a dry place is mandatory.
Refer to HQ when offered specifications are different from our standard specifications. It will need to be approved by a food specialist.
Importation of food is always subject to acceptance from the national authorities, based on their national specifications; check these before purchasing.
Impact on the local, national, or regional market availability and prices should be carefully looked at before purchasing large quantities.
Specifications
For all aspects of the product, unless described otherwise here below, the standard of Codex Alimentarius last edition applies, including the packaging.
- Product must be fit for human consumption and be of sound, fair and marketable quality.
SEASONING CUBE
All ingredients shall be clean, of sound quality and fit for human consumption. They shall be in accordance with the latest edition of the Codex International Codes of Hygienic Practice for the respective ingredients.
After reconstitution with water as when preparing a bouillon, it must contain per litre:
Sodium chloride max. 12.5g.
FOOD ADDITIVES
Any acidity regulators listed in Table III of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995, Rev. 6-2005).
INS No. |
Name of the food additive |
Maximum Level
(on ready to eat basis) |
514 |
Sodium sulphates |
Limited by GMP |
574 |
Gluconic acid (D-) |
339 |
Sodium phosphates |
1000 mg/kg
(sum of phosphates expressed as P2O5) |
340 |
Potassium phosphates |
450i |
Disodium diphosphate |
450ii |
Trisodium diphosphate |
450iii |
Tetrasodium diphosphate |
450iv |
Dipotassium diphosphate |
450v |
Tetrapotassium diphosphate |
451i |
Pentasodium triphosphate |
451ii |
Pentapotassium triphosphate |
452i |
Sodium polyphosphate |
452ii |
Potassium polyphosphate |
2 ANTICAKING AGENTS (in dehydrated products only)
Any anticaking agents listed in Table III of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995, Rev. 6-2005).
INS No. |
Name of the Food Additive |
Maximum Level (on ready-to-eat-basis) |
341 |
Calcium phosphates |
3 g/kg on dry matter |
3. ANTIFOAMING AGENTS
Any antifoaming agents listed in Table III of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995, Rev. 6-2005).
INS No |
Name of the Food Additive |
Maximum Level (on ready-to-eat-basis) |
900a |
Polydimethylsiloxane |
10 mg/kg |
570 |
Fatty acids |
Limited by GMP |
4. ANTIOXIDANTS
Any antioxidants listed in Table III of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995, Rev. 6-2005).
INS No |
Name of the Food Additive |
Maximum Level (on ready-to-eat-basis) |
304 |
Ascorbyl palmitate |
200 mg/kg, singly or in combination |
305 |
Ascorbyl stearate |
306 |
Mixed tocopherols concentrate |
50 mg/kg, singly or in combination |
307 |
Alpha-tocopherol |
310 |
Propyl gallate |
200 mg/kg, singly or in combination |
319 |
Tertiary btylhydroquinone (TBHQ) |
320 |
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) |
321 |
Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) |
5. COLOURS
Any colouring agents listed in Table III of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995, Rev. 6-2005).
INS No |
Name of the Food Additive |
Maximum Level (on ready-to-eat-basis) |
100i |
Curcumin |
50 mg/kg |
101i |
Riboflavin |
200 mg/kg |
141i |
Chlorophyll copper complex |
400 mg/kg |
102 |
Tartrazine |
50 mg/kg |
104 |
Quinoline yellow |
110 |
Sunset yellow FCF |
120 |
Carmines |
122 |
Azorubine |
124 |
Ponceau 4R |
129 |
Allura red AC |
132 |
Indigotine |
133 |
Brilliant blue FCF |
150c |
Caramel III – ammonia process |
Limited by GMP |
150d |
Caramel IV – ammonia sulphite process |
3000 mg/kg |
160a(ii) |
Natural extract |
50 mg/kg, singly or in combination |
160e |
Beta-apo-carotenal |
160f |
Beta-apo-8’-Carotenic acid, methyl or ethyl ester |
6. EMULSIFIERS, STABILIZERS; THICKENERS
Any emulsifiers, stabilizers and thickeners listed in Table III of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995, Rev. 6-2005).
INS No |
Name of the Food Additive |
Maximum Level (on ready-to-eat-basis) |
432 |
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaureate |
1 g/kg, singly or in combination |
433 |
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate |
434 |
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monopalmitate |
435 |
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monostearate |
436 |
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan tristearate |
450vi |
Dicalcium diphosphate |
3 g/kg
(sum of phosphates expressed as P2O5 |
452iv |
Calcium Polyphosphates |
472d |
Tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids |
Limited by GMP |
473 |
Sucrose esters of fatty acids |
2 g/l |
474 |
Sucroglycerides |
1421 |
Starch acetate esterified with vinyl acetate |
Limited /by GMP |
7. FLAVOURS AND FLAVOURINGS
7.1 |
Natural flavours and flavouring substances and nature-identical flavouring substances |
Limited by GMP |
|
Artificial flavouring substances |
|
Mixture prepared for its flavouring properties and produced from ingredients or mixtures of ingredients which are themselves permitted for use in foodstuffs, or are present naturally in foodstuffs, which is obtained by a process for the preparation of foods authorised for human consumption. |
8 FLAVOURS ENHANCERS
Any flavour enhancers listed in Table III of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995, Rev. 6-2005).
9 HUMECTANTS
Any humectants listed in Table III of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995, Rev. 6-2005).
10 PACKING GAS
Any packing gas listed in Table III of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995, Rev. 6-2005).
11 PRESERVATIVES
Any preservatives listed in Table III of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995, Rev. 6-2005).
INS No. |
Name of the Food Additive |
Maximum Level
(on ready to eat basis) |
200 |
Sorbic acid |
500 mg/kg, singly or in combination |
202 |
Potassium sorbate |
203 |
Calcium sorbate |
210 |
Benzoic acid |
211 |
Sodium benzoate |
212 |
Potassium benzoate |
213 |
Calcium benzoate |
12 SWEETENERS
Any sweeteners listed in Table III of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995, Rev. 6-2005).
Packing
The seasoning cubes shall be individually packed in clean and dry aluminised foils, with an over packaging as per requirement, ensuring packing material does not affect the product, and which preserves all qualities of the product.
Labelling
As per Codex STAN 1: Name of the food, the list of ingredients unless for single ingredients food, net content weight or drain content weight, name and address, country of origin, lot identification, dates marking, storage instructions, instructions for use, quantitative labelling of emphasised ingredients, irradiated food, culturally restricted components.