A large number of chemical additives are familiar, and there is a need for regulatory agencies to question their use from stand point of safety.
Estimates are that 2000-20,000 agents are added to the food that currently consumes. These includes preservatives, stabilizers, conditioners, thickeners, colorings, flavorings, sweeteners and antioxidants.
We should not fear the use of chemicals, but we do need to screen them for safety when their effects on human health are not known. Some lessons have been learned along these lines.
Today food additive are regulated more tightly than at any other time in history with safety as the primary goal.
For example, indiscreet use of certain additives used for coloring candy and popcorn was reported to have caused diarrhea in children resulting in the removal of these dyes from the FDA approved list of additives.
The FDA sets safety standards, determining whether a substance is safe for its intended use. If it’s found to be safe, the FDA decides what types of foods the additive may be used in, in what amounts and how it must be indicated on a food label.
There are a number if related ideas that must be remembered when dealing with food additives:
*All food are composed of chemical compounds, many of which can be extracted and added to other foods, in which case they are classified as additives.
*Any particular or chemical compound can be injuries to health when particularly high levels of that compound are added to foods.
*Any additives or chemical compound can be safe to use when particularly low levels of that compound are added to foods.
*A food or color additive must provide convincing evidence that proposed additive performs as it is intended.
*It is necessary to evaluate each additive including microcapsules for its usefulness and toxicity in a sensible, scientific way, regardless of how safe its proponents say it is and how toxic its opponents say it is.
The key difference between a food additive and adulterant is consent and approval. Both food additives and adulterants are avoidable substances but a food additive is legally allowed to be part of foods if the proper conditions of its use are followed.
Food additive and safety
