ABSTRACT
Quillaia extract (E 999) was re-evaluated in 2019 by the EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF). EFSA derived an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 3 mg saponins/kg bw per day for E 999. Following a European Commission call for data to submit data to fill the data gaps, the present follow-up opinion assesses data provided by interested business operators (IBOs) to support an amendment of the EU specifications for E 999. Additionally, this opinion deals with the assessment of the proposed extension of use for E 999 in food supplements supplied in a solid and liquid form, excluding food supplements for infants and young children and, as a carrier in botanical nutrients. The Panel concluded that the proposed extension of use, if authorised, could result in an exceedance of the ADI at the maximum of the ranges of the mean for children, adolescents and the elderly, and for all populations at the 95th percentile. An additional proposed extension of use for E 999 to be used as a carrier for glazing agents on entire fresh fruits and vegetables has been received. Since no information on the proposed use levels of E 999 on a saponins content basis has been provided by this applicant, the Panel was not able to evaluate the safety of this extension of use. Considering the technical data submitted, the Panel recommended some modifications of the existing EU specifications for E 999, mainly to lower the limits for lead, mercury and arsenic and to include a maximum limit for cadmium and for calcium oxalate. The Panel also recommended that the limits would be expressed on a saponins basis. The Panel proposed to revise the definition of E 999 to better describe the composition in a qualitative way.
ABSTRACT
In this study, the aroma profile of 10 single origin Arabica coffees originating from eight different growing locations, from Central America to Indonesia, was analyzed using Headspace SPME-GC-MS as the analytical method. Their roasting was performed under temperature-time conditions, customized for each sample to reach specific sensory brew characteristics in an attempt to underline the customization of roast profiles and implementation of separate roastings followed by subsequent blending as a means to tailor cup quality. A total of 138 volatile compounds were identified in all coffee samples, mainly furan (~24-41%) and pyrazine (~25-39%) derivatives, many of which are recognized as coffee key odorants, while the main formation mechanism was the Maillard reaction. Volatile compounds' composition data were also chemometrically processed using the HCA Heatmap, PCA and HCA aiming to explore if they meet the expected aroma quality attributes and if they can be an indicator of coffee origin. The desired brew characteristics of the samples were satisfactorily captured from the volatile compounds formed, contributing to the aroma potential of each sample. Furthermore, the volatile compounds presented a strong variation with the applied roasting conditions, meaning lighter roasted samples were efficiently differentiated from darker roasted samples, while roasting degree exceeded the geographical origin of the coffee. The coffee samples were distinguished into two groups, with the first two PCs accounting for 73.66% of the total variation, attributed mainly to the presence of higher quantities of furans and pyrazines, as well as to other chemical classes (e.g., dihydrofuranone and phenol derivatives), while HCA confirmed the above results rendering roasting conditions as the underlying criterion for differentiation.