Safety of Additives

Toxicological tests have been performed on animals to establish amount of additive likely to be harmful to humans Maximum dose of the additive is identified, which gives NO observable adverse effect each day over the animals' lifetime. About 100 times less than this figure becomes acceptable daily intake for humans. Safety assessments are done on individual additives, not a combination of additives (which is how they are consumed in real life). Food additives have generic terms or classes e.g colouring; label must include specific type of colouring (e.g tartrazine) by name or number due to food sensitivities. Nobody knows the long-term effects of eating a cocktail of different additives Some of the additives that cause adverse reactions appear to be added largely for marketing advantage e.g coloured icecreams Labels should include all additives, whatever their quantity - helps consumers who wish to avoid them; small amounts of hidden additives can add up, becoming significant for sensitive people.

 

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