Are food additives authorised in processed meat of safety concern for consumers?

摘要

Risk assessment is performed before authorisation by risk management for food additives. Risk assessment is divided in four steps, hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment, risk characterisation. Food additives authorised in EU have been recently re-assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) according to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. In all cases, according to EFSA, food additives authorised in cured meat products are not of concern due to the fact that exposure of consumers never exceed the ADI. In case of nitrites E249, E259 (expressed as nitrite ion), the exposure of consumers from all sources (food additives, natural presence and contamination). In case of nitrites E249, E259 (expressed as nitrite ion), when the exposure of consumers from all sources (food additives, natural presence and contamination) were considered, the ADI would be exceeded for infants, toddlers and children at the mean and for all age groups at the highest exposure. Taking into account the fact that nitrite is used as food additive to prevent the presence of the most potent natural toxin, botulinic toxin, a risk benefice analysis has to be performed before forbidden these food additives in food.