Health risk associated with food additives

The FD&C act requires that food additives be functional but does not take into account any benefits that may accrue from their use. However, the functions of food additives are directly related to their benefits.

Today all new food additives undergo a safety assessment to minimize any potential adverse effects of food additive to human health.

The determination of the appropriate uses and concentrations of additives to allow in foods can be a complex process.

Directly or indirectly added additives may have a demonstrated usefulness to a food processer or consumer, but they may also have harmful toxicological effects when consumed in excess quantities or by sensitive population groups.

Human health continues to be at risk from illegal use of chemicals that are not approved for use as food additives in the manufacture of food.

For example, in developing countries street-food vendors have been reported to continue to misuse of boric acid and Sudan red.

In Europe the commonest food additive, thought to cause adverse reactions are tartrazine, sunset yellow, annatto, aspartame, benzoic acid and sulfites.

A UK study showed a higher reporting of adverse reactions to food additives in the first ten years of life and more often occurring in females.

Most of the adverse reactions attributed to food additives involve non-protein substance, affected individuals are usually considered to have a ‘sensitivity’ or an ‘intolerance’ rather than allergy.
Health risk associated with food additives