JECFA Additives

Joint FAO/WHO Expert committee on Food Additives (1992). Iron oxides. http //apps3.fao.org/jecfa/additive specs/docs/0/addi-tive-0230.htm (accessed 12 May 2005). 

FAO. Compendium of food additive specifications. 2013 (acceded in 19.03.2014) http //www.fao.org/ food/food-safcty-quality/scientific-advice/jecfa/jecfa-additives/en/. 

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2014. In Food Safety and Quality Tertiary Butylhydroquinone, Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene. Available from http //www.fao.org/ag/agn/jecfa-additives/specs/ Monographl/. Assessed in August 1, 2015. 

One of the few phytochemicals that has been subjected to the rigorous testing procedures required by food safety authorities is P-carotene, a naturally-occurring carotenoid that is also a pre-cursor of vitamin A in humans. It is increasingly used as a food colour since the food product can be claimed to contain all natural ingredients. For this reason, detailed toxicological studies were undertaken that enabled the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee for Food Additives (JECFA) to set an ADI of 0-5 mg/kg/bw/day based on a NOAEL of 50 mg/day and the application of an uncertainty factor of 10 (JECFA, 1974). This low factor was used because it was argued that the compound occurred naturally in food, that its use as a food additive would not lead to a substantial increase in the total amount normally consumed, and that there had been no reports of adverse effects in humans. The ADI would correspond to an acceptable intake in humans of up to 350 mg/day. 

JECFA (1974) Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Evaluation of safety of synthetic beta-carotene. Evaluation 18/68. 

Penicilium oxalicum var. Armeniaca CCM 8242 strain produces an anthaquinone-type pigment related to carmine and patented as Arpink Red. The pigment is produced during batch submerse cultivation, harvested, and purified. It is presently under evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) for use as a food colorant. ... 

Source Adapted from Francis, F.J., in Colorants, Eagan Press, St. Paul, MN, 1999 Commission Directive 95/45/EC, Ojf. J. European Commun., L226, 22.09, 1995 U.S. Food Drug Administration, Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 73, 615 U.S. Food Drug Administration, Additives Listed for Use, etc., 1999 Downham, A. and Collins, P, J. Food Sci. Technol, 35, 5, 2000 JECFA, Geneva, 2001. 

The EU laws follow three principles related to consumer health (1) protection, (2) fraud prevention, and (3) trade barriers. The union tried to harmonize the laws of different countries, particularly in recent years when the enlargement of the European Community became dynamic. Color Directive 94/36/EC contains horizontal provisions that refer to common laws in different countries and vertical directives that apply to specific foods. The EU directives take into account the recommendations of the Scientific Committee for Food (SCF), the Codex AUmen-tarius Commission, and the Joint Food and Agriculture OrganizationAVorld Health Organization (FAOAVHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). 

Commission Directive 95/45/EC, July 26, 1995, laying down specific purity criteria concerning colors for use in foodstuffs. Off. J. Eur. Commun., L226, 22.09.1995. U.S. Food Drug Administration, Summary of color additives listed for use in the United States in food, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices, Washington, D.C., 1999. JECFA, online edition. Combined compendium of food additive specifications, http //WWW. fao. org. 

Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations and World Health Organization, Summary of Evaluations Performed by the Joint EAO/WHO Expert Committee on Eood Additives (JECFA 1956-2005), International Life Sciences Institnte, Washington, 2006. 

Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)—Monographs and Evaluations. 

FAO/WHO (2006) Summary and conclusions of the sixty-seventh meeting of the Joint FAO/ WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 20-29 June 2006. JECFA, Rome... 

International Programme on Chemical Safety (1997) World Health Organization, Food Additives Series 39. http //www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v39je08.htm. Accessed 14 Feb 2011... 

Joint Commission on Biochemical Nomenclature, 17 401 402 Joint dispersion relation, 14 834-835 Joint Expert Committee of Food Additives (JECFA), 24 240... 

JECFA Joint Expert Committee for Food Additives... 

The ADI was defined by the Joint WHO/FAO Expert Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (JECFA)5 as ... 

Color additive US food use limit EU status JECFA ADI (mg/kg/bw)... 

There is little toxicological data available for extracts of carrots, alfalfa, com oil, palm oil, tomatoes, etc. The JECFA had no objections to their use as food colorants provided that the levels of use did not exceed that normally present in vegetables. A number of toxicity experiments were conducted on Dimaliella algae in view of its increasing importance in the health food area. Twelve studies on D. salina indicated no problems. ( is beta-carotene was absorbed to a lesser extent than trans beta-carotene. Furahashi suggested a no-observed-effect level (NOEL) of 2.5 g kg/day for extracts from D. Hardawil 2 The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the World Health Organization/United Nations (JECFA) did not establish an NOEL or an ADI because of the variation in the composition of the products. 

In the 1992 edition, flavoring substances are classified into Category A or B based on the information currently available (i.e., Category A - flavoring substances which may be used in foodstuffs, or Category B - flavoring substances for which further information is required before an opinion on their safety-in-use can be determined) (CE, 1992). In addition, where available, an ADI is specified by the Committee of Experts. The ADI is typically the one recommended by JECFA, and, in cases where the substance has not been evaluated by JECFA and where toxicological data are insufficient to establish an ADI, acceptable upper use levels in food (i.e., those that would be considered to result in no risk to health) are specified. 

The extent of safety studies necessary to obtain food additive approval can be demonstrated by the studies carried out on acesulfame K (trade name Sunett ), one of the sweeteners developed in course of the last 25 years,7 which has been endorsed for food use by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the WHO and FAO and the Scientific Committee for Foods (SCF) of the EU and has meanwhile been approved in more than 100 countries. This program shows the wide range of studies necessary. 

Data on the safety studies were submitted to international agencies like the Joint Expert Committee for Food Additives of the WHO and FAO (JECFA), and the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) of the EC. Both committees endorsed acesulfame K as a food additive. Initial acceptance was based on an NOEL of 900mg/kg in dogs which were considered to be the most sensitive species. Therefore Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) values of 0-9 mg/kg of body weight were allocated.8 9 Evidence that rats would be an appropriate model for risk assessment was the reason for JECFA to change the ADI to 0-15 mg/kg of body weight on the basis of a no-effect level of 1500-3000 mg/kg in rats.10 Countries allocating their own ADI values like the USA and Canada have come to the same conclusion. The SCF still retains its 0-9 mg/kg ADI.11... 

Special attention was paid to the potential influence on phenylketonurics (PKU), as aspartame contains phenylalanine. As persons suffering from PKU should avoid uncontrolled intake of phenylalanine-containing food constituents or food additives, most countries require a warning on aspartame-sweetened products unless the aspartame level brought about by constituents of these products will exceed the aspartame levels.1314 Evaluations of aspartame were carried out by JECFA, and an ADI of 0-40mg/kg of body weight was allocated.15 The SCF allocated the same level,10 whereas the FDA published a value of 50 mg/kg.16... 

An important step and for some countries even a prerequisite before food additive approval is endorsement for food use by international scientific bodies like the JECFA or the European SCF. These committees evaluate the safety data, identify a no-observed-effect level and allocate an ADI, usually by applying a safety factor of 100 to the ADI. While numerical values have been allocated for all intense sweeteners, the ADIs for bulk sweeteners are normally not specified as any numerical limitation would not be reasonable for these substances. 

Beyond national approvals the Codex Alimentarius is developing a General Standard for Food Additives which will be the applicable basis for international trade. All and only sweeteners endorsed for food use by JECFA are/or will be listed in this standard. For bulk sweeteners the standard has progressed to permanent while the part dealing with intense sweeteners is still under discussion. 

EU categories of food additives JECFA functional uses (includes)... 

The Joint FAOAVHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) includes Functional Use in the specifications published in Food and Nutrition Paper 52 and its Addenda. JECFA includes an indication of the functional use or uses, as part of its specifications of purity of additives. JECFA has developed these as part of the description of the additive, and although JECFA provides advice on specifications to the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants, the uses quoted in those specifications are not necessarily the same as the functions given for the same substance in the Codex INS system. Frequently more than one use is listed and these uses often refer to countries outside the EU, and may not include the reason for use listed by the EU. The various categories, uses or classes of additive used by the EU, INS and JECFA are listed in Table 11.2. With minor exceptions, the JECFA functional uses marked with an asterisk are generally regarded as processing aids and not additives and therefore outside the scope of this volume. 

The EU Directive 95/2/EC which covers the additives in this chapter limits the amount of certain additives to particular uses or quantities, usually based on the ADI. It also has special limits for foods intended for products for young children. For example, modified starches listed in Part 3 of Annex VI, although ADI Not specified , are restricted to 50g/kg in weaning foods for infants and young children. In the past a series of different and sometimes confusing expressions such as ADI Not limited or Acceptable were used instead of ADI Not specified , and older texts must, therefore, be read with caution Appendices 2 and 3 list the ADI allocated by the Scientific Committee for Food in the EU and by JECFA at an international level to the additives in this chapter. 

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