Smoking food materials list updated by EU

THE European Union has updated the list of wood and materials that can be used for smoking food.

These include oak, walnut, maple, ash, birch and cherry-wood, with beech being the basis for this type of food flavouring.

Thought to have originated in prehistoric times to preserve food, smoking today is a technique used to flavour mainly fish and meat.

Other ingredients that can be smoked are cheeses, sauces, bread, cereals, pasta, snacks, desserts and even beverages.

The list drawn by the European Union shows how to smoke food, shedding light on this interesting but often unknown process.

It has a validity of 10 years, after which the European Union will have to reappraise and update it to guarantee it complies with the highest safety standards.