Presents the conclusions of an expert committee commissioned to evaluate the safety for human consumption of selected food additives and contaminants and to establish acceptable daily intakes for these substances. Reports in this series are used in the formulation of national food legislation intended to protect consumers from hazardous additives or contaminants and by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in establishing international food standards. The report, which has two main parts, issues new or revised acceptable daily intakes or provisional tolerable weekly intakes for some 20 food additives and for two contaminants. The first part addresses various methodological problems that arose during the evaluation of these substances. Because the report includes first-time evaluations of several enzymes produced by biotechnology, the methodological problems posed by additives derived from genetically manipulated source organisms are also discussed. The second and most extensive part summarizes the toxicological data that formed the basis of new or revised acceptable daily intakes for three antioxidants, seven enzyme preparations, three flavouring agents, the food colour eryth-rosine, two sweeteners, a miscellaneous group of additives, and benzo[a]pyrene and ochratoxin A. Although a provisional tolerable weekly intake could not be established for benzo[a]pyrene, the report lists measures that can be taken by both consumers and the food industry to minimize contamination of food with this and other carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

eng fre rus spa.

WHODOC

WHO monograph

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