TÜV SÜD expert throws light on additive limits in foods

Munich. Undesirable substances in foods have long been
a cause of consumer concern. In a recent survey conducted by TÜV SÜD, a large
proportion of respondents (34%) perceived additives as the greatest nutrition-based
risk – a good example of the disparity between the public and experts in the
field in assessing food risks. TÜV SÜD's food experts explain how the health
impact of additives is evaluated and what consumers can do to avoid artificial
additives in foods.

In the current survey by TÜV SÜD, 34% of respondents quoted additives
such as artificial colourings as their chief nutritional concerns; 28% said
they were most worried about food spoilage such as mould, and 26% about
pathogens like salmonella. Experts agree that food spoilage through mould or
pathogens can constitute a high risk to human health, particularly on hot
summer days; however, they generally draw very different conclusions with
respect to additives, instead placing unhealthy lifestyles with excessive
calorie intake and insufficient exercise at the top of the risk list.

It is unquestionable that in addition to containing a wide range of
nutrients and ingredients, foods may also conceal undesirable substances with
which they come into – often unavoidable – contact during production, storage
or transport. The EU has a dense network of precautionary calculations, laws
and directives in place to provide maximum consumer protection.

Maximum amounts and limits are applied to evaluate the health risks
before additives and other substances are approved for use in foodstuffs. Dr
Andreas Daxenberger, food expert at TÜV SÜD, explains: "A wealth of data
from science and official sources are drawn on to evaluate health risks
involving these substances, and thus calculate limits for them. The data are
used to define intake levels at which consumption must be free from undesirable
reactions. This level is then generally reduced by a safety factor of 100,
resulting in a tolerable amount of the additive substance that allows lifelong
daily consumption without harmful effects." This amount is also known as
the ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake). Food safety authorities, manufacturers and independent
testing institutes take action whenever there is a threat of one of these
limits being exceeded, even if no acute danger to human health would
result. 

The requirement of declaration of additives is important for all those
suffering from genuine allergies and sensitivities. The statutory declaration
of ingredients on food packaging must be listed in order of quantity, so that
artificial colourings, for example, are generally far down the list. Consumers
can easily avoid buying products containing artificial colourings by examining
the declaration of ingredients. A glance at these lists shows that artificial
colourings are generally used only rarely today; in recent years many of them
have been replaced by foodstuffs with the same colourant properties (e.g. paprika
powder, beetroot) or by additives from natural sources. It is recommended,
particularly in the summer season, to focus on fresh regional produce in the
kitchen, thus practically automatically eliminating concerns about artificial
additives. 

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