In the compulsory national standard "Jelly" (GB 19833-2005), the physical and chemical indicators of jelly require not only specifications, but also soluble solids, sulfur dioxide residues and other indicators. Other indicators such as lead, total arsenic and copper are also needed.
Soluble solids: The soluble solids of jelly is an important index to measure the quality of jelly products, which is used to reflect the amount of sugar in the products. If the soluble solid content of the product is unqualified, it means that the enterprise cut corners in production and shoddy, and artificial sweeteners may be used instead of sugar. The national standard stipulates that the soluble solid content of all kinds of jelly products is not less than 15%.
Sulfur dioxide residue: it is an important health index. Sulfur dioxide is mainly produced by reducing bleaching agents such as sulfur and sulfite, which has bleaching and bacteriostatic effects. Sulfur dioxide residue in jelly mainly comes from raw materials such as white sugar and edible gums such as carrageenan and mannan gum. According to national standards, sulfur dioxide is allowed to be added to raw materials of white sugar and edible gum, and the residue of sulfur dioxide in jelly shall not exceed 100 mg/kg.
Arsenic, lead and copper: these three elements are widely distributed in nature and food, and have strong toxic effects on human body. They are highly enriched and toxic to various tissues, mainly damaging the nervous system, hematopoietic system, digestive system and kidney. Infants and preschool children are susceptible to lead. All countries strictly control the contents of lead, arsenic and copper in food. In 1973 FAO/WTO 17, arsenic ranks second. According to the hygienic standard of jelly, the contents of total arsenic, lead and copper in jelly should be ≤0.2, ≤ 1.0 and ≤5 mg/kg respectively.
Total number of colonies: refers to the number of bacteria in unit food, including various strains. Bacteria in food come from external pollution in food production, storage, transportation and sales. The number of bacteria in food indicates the cleanliness of food. Because bacteria decompose food ingredients through enzymes produced by themselves, the more bacteria there are in food, the faster the food spoils. According to the hygienic standard of jelly, the total number of colonies should not exceed 100/g.
Coliform bacteria: It comes from human and animal feces, and the detection of coliform bacteria in food indicates that the food has been contaminated by human or animal feces. Because coliform bacteria widely exist in the environment, it is also an indicator of general food pollution. The source of coliform bacteria is the same as intestinal pathogenic bacteria, so the more coliform bacteria in food, the more indirectly it indicates the possibility of intestinal pathogenic bacteria pollution. Symptoms of acute gastroenteritis such as food poisoning and diarrhea may occur after eating. The hygienic standard for jelly stipulates that the coliform group should not exceed 30 MPN/ 100 g.
Pathogenic bacteria: bacteria that can cause human diseases. Common pathogens in food include Salmonella, Shigella and Staphylococcus aureus. The hygienic standard for jelly stipulates that pathogenic bacteria should not be detected.
Mould: There are many kinds, and some even produce mycotoxin. Moisture in food and environmental temperature and humidity are the main conditions affecting the growth and toxin production of molds, and 25 ~ 30℃ is the suitable temperature for most molds to reproduce. Food contaminated by mold and mycotoxin can cause food deterioration and food poisoning. The mold in jelly is mainly caused by mold pollution or improper preservation in the environment, which leads to mold reproduction. According to the national standard, the number of jelly molds should not exceed 20/g.
Food additives: Food additives are chemical synthetic substances or natural substances added to food in order to improve the quality, color, smell and taste of food and meet the needs of anti-corrosion and processing technology. Additives allowed in jelly mainly include preservatives (sorbic acid), sweeteners (acesulfame K, sodium cyclamate) and synthetic pigments (lemon yellow, sunset yellow, amaranth red, carmine red, seductive red and brilliant blue). According to national standards, the contents of sorbic acid, acesulfame K and sodium cyclamate in jelly should not exceed 0.5g/kg, 0.3g/kg and 0.65g/kg respectively. The dosage of six synthetic colorants should not exceed 0.05, 0.025, 0.05, 0.025, 0.025 and 0.025 g/kg respectively.
Sensory: Nature uses the sensory organs of the human body to perceive the characteristics of food. Jelly should have its proper color and flavor, without other peculiar smell and foreign impurities. Gel jelly is gel-like, which can basically remain the same after leaving the packaging container, and the tissue is soft and moderate; Absorbable jelly is a semi-fluid gel, which can be sucked directly with a straw or a suction nozzle, and is amorphous after leaving the packaging container; The pulp or other edible solid substances added in jelly should have normal tissue morphology.
Label: the contents of label inspection include product name, net content, ingredient list, production date, shelf life, factory name, address, product implementation standard number, etc. Gel jelly must be marked with safety warning and eating method in a prominent position on the front of the outer packaging, and the text height should be not less than 3mm.
Specification: The inner diameter of the cup mouth or the maximum length of the inner side of the cup mouth should be ≥3.5cm, the length of the contents of the long cup-shaped jelly candy and the strip-shaped jelly candy should be ≥6.0cm, and the net content of the irregular jelly candy should be ≥ 30g.