Benefits and risks of food additives, balancing risks and benefits

1. Benefits and risks of additives
Domina Petric, MD

2. Benefits

3. Safer and more nutritious foods
• The preservative and nutritional additives
used in foods increase the safety and overall
value of many food products.
• The use of several antimicrobials is known to
prevent food poisoning from various bacteria
and molds.
• Antioxidants, used to prevent the
development of off-flavors, also prevent the
formation of potentially toxic autoxidation
products and maintain the nutritional value
of vitamins and lipids.

4. Greater choice of foods
Lower price

5. Risks of additives

6. Risks
There is not always adequate
scientific proof of whether or not a
particular additive is safe.
Little or no data are available
concerning the health risks or joint
effects of the additive cocktail each
of us consumes daily.

7. Junk foods
• Additives have resulted in the
increased availability of food
products with a low density of
nutrients.
• These junk foods, which include
many snack items, can in fact be
used as substitutes in the diet for
more nutritious foods.

9. Direct toxicological effects
• Short-term acute effects from additives
are unlikely.
• Few additives are used at levels that
might cause a direct toxicological impact.
• Of particular concern are the
hypersensitivity reactions to some
additives that can have a direct and
severe impact on sensitive individuals
even when the chemicals are used at
legally acceptable levels.

10. Direct toxicological effects
• Cancer and reproductive problems
are of primary concern, although
there is no direct evidence linking
additive consumption with their
occurrence in humans.
• There are animal studies that have
indicated potential problems with
some additives.

11. BALANCING RISKS AND BENEFITS

12. Balancing
The potential risks
must be weighed
against the
potential benefits.

13. Example: saccharin
• There is no direct evidence that saccharin,
in the low amounts consumed in foods,
causes cancer in humans, but risk
evaluation in rats indicates a potential for
cancer in humans.
• On the benefit side, saccharin is an
excellent non-caloric sweetener that is
useful for diabetics and those interested
in reducing consumption of calories.

14. References
• Branen AL, Haggerty RJ. Introduction to
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:1-9.