Liquid smoke

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Liquid smoke, or smoke condensates are produced through the controlled burning of wood chips, or sawdust. This forms a smoke cloud that is extracted with water to dissolve the smoke components in the water forming a base smoke solution. This base can be modified through many methods to develop a wide range of smoke flavors.

During the manufacturing process of smoke condensates, tar and ash are removed from the solution. By removing the tar from solution, the carcinogen level is reduced considerably^{[citation needed]} if not completely removed. This process makes smoking with smoke condensates significantly^{[citation needed]} safer for consumers than traditionally smoked foods (exposing meat, fish, or cheese to freshly combusted wood smoke). However, the European Food Safety Authority is investigating the safety of liquid smoke as a food flavouring, which was up to now not subject to authorization^[1]

One of the smoke flavourings being assessed, named Primary Product FF-B, raised concern. The EFSA Panel on food additives, flavourings, processing aids and materials in contact with food (AFC) concluded that Primary Product FF-B can be regarded as weakly genotoxic in vivo ( i.e. animal testing has shown that it can damage DNA, the genetic material in cells). The Panel therefore could not establish its safety in use when added to food.