What food producers and consumers need to know about food additives?
“The toxicity of food additives is generally low.”
This was according to Rose Elaine E. Placio-Guilaran, a science research specialist from the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), who discussed Food Additives: Uses and Safety during the DOST-Caraga’s webinar for the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) held recently.
Guilaran added that the major food safety concern of food additives is in fact due to their chronic exposure at levels above the safety reference.
There is a CODEX Committee on Food Additives that sets the standard known as the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) that can be accessed online. People can refer to the GSFA for the maximum permissible levels (MPL) of certain food additive they are using, since GSFA provides a list of food categories with the corresponding MPL. The GSFA further prescribes the safe amounts of additives to use especially if applied to processed foods done for personal consumption or commercially sold in the market.
Food additives are substances added intentionally to food, to color, sweeten, or preserve them. They are usually added during food processing to improve its appearance, flavor, storage properties, and even nutritional value.
Some of the common food additive functional classes are anti-caking agent, bleaching agents, emulsifiers, flavor enhancer, flour treatment agent, stabilizer, and thickener.
One cannot merely use food additives without proper discretion. There are general principles behind its safe use. Among these are, using additives to lengthen shelf life; to enhance nutritional quality; to provide the necessary substances for people with special
dietary needs; to improve sensory characteristics; and to aid in the manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, and storage of food.
The use of food additive should not exceed the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), and the level should be in accordance with the GSFA recommended level, as well as the good manufacturing practice, that says that the quantity of additive added to food shall be limited to the lowest level possible necessary to accomplish its desired effect.
In simple terms, the ADI of a chemical is the estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking-water, expressed on a body-weight basis, that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk.
“A small proportion of the population may be intolerant to some food additives and may have acute effects,” Guilaran said.
The Philippine government requires the labelling of pre-packaged food products to include all the list of ingredients used, including food additives, to guide consumers of what are in the products they buy.
DOST-FNRI also conducted studies related to exposure to certain food additives. Among their findings is on exposure to cyclamates, which is a low-calorie sweetener often found in products like soft drinks and chewing gums. They found that Mean exposure to cyclamate were higher among children through consumption of bakery wares and beverages.
They also found that exposure to residual nitrites, often added to cured meat products like ham and sausages, were also higher in children ages one to nine years old from consumption of sausages and canned meat products.
“When formulating a food product, the food manufacturers are recommended to consider the general principles for the use of food additives; Exercise due care in choosing food additives; add only the right type and right amount of food additive, and the trade should also take note of the regulatory requirements on the use and labeling of food additives,” Guilaran reminded the participants, especially those who are into the food business.
Should there be any doubt on the use and labelling of food additives, Guilaran suggested seeking the advice of food scientists or official regulatory agencies and institutions of government. (S&T Media Service, Geraldine Bulaon-Ducusin)
