3. Compositional Aspects
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3. Compositional Aspects
- 4 Mins to read
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Bakery Products
Australia
This section provides the compositional requirements for the food category and/or food products in scope and information on permitted nutrients, ingredients, and additives.
3.1 Composition Requirements
Category
The category of "breads and bakery products" follows the composition requirements outlined in Section 3.1 of the "General Foods" guidebook for Australia.
Product
Biscuits, cakes, and pastries (including layer cakes with mousses) follow the composition requirements outlined in Section 3.1 of the "General Foods" guidebook for Australia.
3.2 Raw Material Requirements
Category
The category of "breads and bakery products" follows the raw material requirements outlined in Section 3.2 of the "General Foods" guidebook for Australia.
Product
Biscuits, cakes, and pastries (including layer cakes with mousses) follow the raw material requirements outlined in Section 3.2 of the "General Foods" guidebook for Australia.
3.3 Fortification
Category
The category of "breads and bakery products" follows the fortification requirements outlined in Section 3.3 of the "General Foods" guidebook for Australia.
Product
Biscuits, cakes, and pastries (including layer cakes with mousses) follow the fortification requirements outlined in Section 3.3 of the "General Foods" guidebook for Australia.
3.4 Other Permitted Ingredients
Category
The category of "breads and bakery products" follows the requirements related to other permitted ingredients outlined in Section 3.4 of the "General Foods" guidebook for Australia.
Product
Biscuits, cakes, and pastries (including layer cakes with mousses) follow the requirements related to other permitted ingredients outlined in Section 3.4 of the "General Foods" guidebook for Australia.
3.5 Permitted Additives
Category
Breads and bakery products
In addition to the requirements outlined in Section 3.5 - Permitted Additives - of the General Foods guidebook for Australia, this category of products is included in Schedule 15 [1] as shown in Figure 1:
Figure 1. Excerpt from Schedule 15 [1]: Food additives in breads and bakery products.
Category 7 (Bread and bakery products) (parent category) permits additives permitted at GMP and colorings (i.e., substances with an entry in Schedule 16 [2]) in addition to the numbered additives below these (e.g., sorbic acid (200) and Propionic acid (280)) which have a maximum permitted level (MPL) for use at mg/kg of the final food.
Category 7.2 (Biscuits, cakes, and pastries) can apply the food additives below the item 7.2 heading, and also the additive permitted in the parent item (7) but not those under item 7.1 (Breads and Related Products).
There are also food additives (Category 0: Preparations of food additives in Schedule 15 [1]) that can be used in all the food additives or as mixtures of additives. (Refer to Figure 2 below.)
Figure 2. Excerpt from Schedule 15 [1]: Food additives in Preparations of food additives (Category 0).
Product
Biscuits, cakes, and pastries (including layer cakes with mousses)
The information under "Category" above applies as well as the requirements outlined in Section 3.5 of the "General Foods" guidebook for Australia. In addition, the following are some examples of cake ingredients that demonstrate how the food additive requirements apply.
XANTHAN GUM
Used as an ingredient in cakes. Xanthan Gum (E415) is an additive permitted at GMP in Schedule 15 [1] and would perform the technological function as a thickener or stabilizer per Figure 3:
Figure 3. Excerpt from Schedule 16 [2]: Entry for Xanthan gum.
Therefore, Xanthan gum is permitted as an additive at GMP in biscuits, cakes, and pastries (including layer cakes with mousses). Similar permissions (use at GMP) would apply to soy lecithin, carrageenan, guar gum, sodium alginate, and citric acid.
POLYGLYCEROL ESTERS OF FATTY ACIDS
This would be permitted in cakes up to 15,000 mg/kg since it appears in the permitted food additives in Category 7.2 (Biscuits, cakes, and pastries) (refer to Figure 1 above). Therefore, it is a permitted food additive for biscuits, cakes, and pastries. Similar examples are Annatto extracts and Alitame.
3.6 Permitted Flavors and Colors
Category
Breads and bakery products
Since Category 7 (Breads and bakery products) in Schedule 15 [1] includes colorings permitted at GMP and those permitted to a maximum level (refer to Figure 1 above), these are permitted as illustrated above.
As for flavorings, if they meet the criteria as stated in Figures 16 and 17 of Section 3.6 of the "General Foods" guidebook for Australia, then the flavorings used will be permitted.
Product
Biscuits, cakes, and pastries (including layer cakes with mousses)
Since Category 7 (Breads and bakery products) in Schedule 15 [1] includes colorings permitted at GMP and those permitted to a maximum level (refer to Figure 1 above), these are automatically permitted in Category 7.2 (biscuits, cakes, and pastries).
For flavorings, same as above.
In addition, icings and frostings are permitted to contain food additives as shown in Figure 4:
Figure 4. Excerpt from Schedule 15 [1]: Permission for food additives for icings and frostings.
3.7 Permitted Processing Aids
Category
Breads and bakery products – please refer to Section 3.7 of the "General Foods" guidebook for Australia.
Additionally, the specific processing aids for bakery products are collated in Figure 5. These are all enzyme processing aids.
Figure 5. Excerpts from Schedule 18 [3]: Permission for processing aids for bakery products.
Product
Biscuits, cakes, and pastries (including layer cakes with mousses) - same as "Category" above.
3.8 Additional Notes
Category
Breads and bakery products
Please refer to Section 3.8 of the "General Foods" guidebook for Australia which has additional notes regarding:
- Novel Foods
- GMO Ingredients
- Irradiated Foods
- Trans-fats
In addition, please note that it is likely that many GMO components of the bakery products (if any) would be processing aids and food additives of flavors and therefore would not need to be labeled as containing GMO ingredients.
Product
Biscuits, cakes, and pastries (including layer cakes with mousses)
Same as "Category" above.
3.9 References
1. Schedule 15 – Substances that may be used as food additives
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2021C00607/Download
2. Schedule 16 – Types of substances that may be used as food additives
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2019C00128/Download
3. Schedule 18 – Processing aids
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