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

Risks of Food Additive

Risks of Food Additive
Food additives, especially vitamins and minerals the quantity added to a finished food product may not be sufficient to achieve an intended health benefit.

Some foods that are commonly consumed by the majority of the population may be supplemented with various vitamins or minerals.

A single serving of a fortified food may not provide the same health benefit as regular consumption of a fortified food.

For example, iodine is added to table salt to provide a regular source of this important mineral.

Table salt is regularly consumed by most Americans, and iodine is often lacking in typical diets.

The determination of a beneficial, yet safe, quality of iodine to add to table s at must consider the typical consumption of salt over the lifetime of the consumer.

While food additive may provide a benefit to a processor or a consumer when used as intended, the use of an inappropriate quantity may be deleterious to the food or to the consumer.

If an additive is used in excess to process a product, then the desired effect may not be achieved, or else there may be an undesirable quality defect attributed to the product.

For example, of an artificial sweetener such as aspartame is added to a beverage in a high concentration, then the product may be too sweet and rejected by the consumers.

Or an excessively high concentration of a chemical additive may lead to an acute illness or injury to the consumer, such as can occur with sulfiting agents.

People who are sensitive to additive s containing sulfur, especially those with asthma, are at a greater risk to suffer am allergic reaction to high levels of sulfites.

Safety determination of additive use should consider the effects of accidental or intentional consumption of a high quantity of an additive that is beyond its prescribed used level.

Also additive may be injuries to health when consumed in moderate doses over extended time periods.

When the risks or benefits of food additive use are considered, estimation must be made of the long term or lifetime consumption of the additive.

These substances may have cumulative effects in health may interact with other biological or chemical compounds in the body, or may elicit different responses in consumers of different ages or health status.
Risks of Food Additive