EU clarifies bacon chip rumours: Only smoke flavourings banned

Information has circulated that the European Union has banned bacon-flavored chips. However, this is not true. Only eight flavours used in the production of this salty snack will be withdrawn.

Recently, a post appeared on platform X (formerly Twitter), suggesting that the European Union had supposedly decided to introduce a ban on the sale of chips with a popular flavor.

"Do you like bacon chips? You'll have to get used to not having them because the EU is banning them," an anonymous post author wrote, attaching a screenshot of an article published on one of the news portals. More than 244,000 people viewed the post.

A wave of negative comments immediately poured in under the post. Users criticized the European Union for the decision they believed was made. However, it turns out that EU bureaucrats did not ban bacon chips.

The editorial team at konkrety24.tvn24.pl investigated the alleged ban on the sale of bacon-flavored chips. "It’s not about banning bacon chips, but about withdrawing eight smoke flavourings from the EU market, which are used, among other things, in the production of such chips," the article reads.

The portal reminds us that in November 2023, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessed the health safety of eight smoke flavorings approved for use in the European Union. These flavorings are used not only in chips but also in meat and cheese, for example. Instead of preserving properties, they only give food a smoky flavour.

"Based on the available scientific evidence, EFSA experts reported concerns about the genotoxicity of these eight flavorings. A genotoxic substance is one that can damage DNA in cells," write journalists from konkrety24.tvn24.pl.