Chemical categorization food additives

The data required for the risk assessment in relation to human health can be categorized as data on the identity of the substance, its physico-chemical and toxicological properties, and on exposure. The minimum data set required for a risk assessment depends on the chemical use category (industrial chemical, pesticide, biocide, food additive, food contact material, etc.), the regulation involved, and the goal of the risk assessment. This chapter will focus on the data used in the hazard assessment. 

The TTC concept was adopted by the Joint FAOAVHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) to evaluate flavoring agents in food, and it is also now used by the European Food Safety Authority. In the TTC decision-tree approach of Kroes et al. (2004), proteins, heavy metals, and dioxins were excluded because the database used to derive TTC values did not include proteins and heavy metals, and the extreme species-dependence of the dioxins and related compounds made it less useful for this category (compared to the existing toxicity equivalence factor method). This approach could be much more widely used to categorize trace chemicals in the environment as well as help prioritize the thousands of untested chemicals for further evaluation. 

Under current regulations, chemicals allowed for use in various European countries (Table 3) are either fully Hcensed for aquacultural use (oxytetracycline, oxolinic acid) or can be prescribed by veterinarians if they are Hcensed for use on other food animals (14—16). In addition, previously unHcensed chemicals that are appHed to the water (topicals) may now be used under a grandfather clause if no one questions their safety. The question of whether a chemical is a medicine or a pesticide has also been addressed. Eor example, dichlorvos (Nuvan 500 EC) was initially designated as a pesticide in the United Kingdom, but was later categorized as a medicine. A similar product, trichlorfon (Masoten), was treated the same way in the United States. 

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