Safety of Food Additives

Safety of Food Additives
Concern regarding the safety of food additives has declined in the United States since the enactment of the saccharin moratorium. The study indicates that only 21% of the supermarket shoppers were concern about additives and preservatives, a significant decline from the earlier study. Reduced consumer concerns plus a changing political environment away from consumerism and a move toward more responsible use of additives by manufacturers have lessened the controversy over additive use. The potential risks of additives are well recognized, but the beneficial role these additives play in food production, processing, and utilization are also felt to be essential to the maintenance of our current food systems. With the convenient, tasty and nutritious foods demanded, or at least, desired, by consumers and the increasing overall demand for foods as population increase, food additive will continue to play an important and essential role in food production.

New technology is likely to have a profound impact on the use of food additives in the future. Of these, recombinant DNA technology may have the greatest effect on the future development and use of food additives. Recombinant DNA technology is already routinely used for production of additives through bioprocessing, including organic acids, bacteriocin preservative, enzymes microorganisms, vitamins and minerals. Biotechnology may also decrease the need for food additives, plants have been produced through recombinant DNA worth increased shelf life and nutritional value, thus decreasing the need for a variety of additive. Although it is expected these recombinant DNA method will be accepted in the future, there are currently several questions being raised regarding the risks and benefits of these products as well.
Safety of Food Additives

Risks of Food Additives

Risks of Food Additives
Despite the benefits attributed to food additives for several years there have also been a number of concerns regarding the potential short and long term risks of consuming food additives. Critics of additives are concerned with both indirect and direct impacts of using additives. As for many of the benefits mentioned, there is not always adequate scientific proof of whether or not a particular additive is safe. Little or no data are available concerning the health risks or joints effects of an additive cocktail of us consumes daily.

The indirect risks that have been described for additives are the c0nverse of some of benefits attributed to their use. While it is accepted that though additives a greater choice and variety of foods have been made available, there is no question that additives have also resulted in the increased availability of food products with a low density of nutrients. These so called junk foods, which include many snack items, can in fact be used as substitutes in the diet for more nutritious foods.

Of greater concern than the indirect risks are the potential direct toxicological effects of additives. Short terms acute effects from additives are unlikely. Few additives are used at levels that will cause a direct toxicological impact, although there have been incidents where this has happened. Of particular concern are the hypersensitivity reactions to some additives that can have a direct and severe impact on sensitive individual even when the chemical are used at legally acceptable levels. The reactions to sulfites and other additives are examples of such a problem. With proper labeling, however, sensitive individuals should be able to avoid potential problem.

Toxicological problems resulting from the long term consumption of additive are not well documented. Cancer and reproductive problems are of primary concern, although there is no direct evidence linking additive consumption with their occurrence in humans. There are however, animal studies that have indicated potential problems with some additives, although most of these additives have been banned, some continues to be used, the most notable being saccharin.
Risks of Food Additives