Categorization of risks and benefits: food and food additives

1. Domina Petric, MD
Categorization of risks and
benefits (food additives)

2. Categories of risk
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

3. Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

4. Categories of risk
2. Nutritional
hazards
3. Environmental
contaminant hazards
4. Foodborne hazards of
natural origin
5. Food and color additive hazards
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.
1. Foodborne hazards of microbial origin

5. Foodborne hazards of microbial origin
The most prevalent hazard
associated with food is
foodborne disease of
microbial origin.
Microbial contamination
can result from poor
sanitary control during
preparation and/or storage
in the home, food service
facility or food processing
plant.
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

6. Foodborne hazards of microbial origin
The four primary factors that contribute to
outbreaks of foodborne illness are:
• holding food at the wrong temperature
(includes inadequate cooling)
• inadequate cooking
• use of contaminated equipment in handling
food
• poor personal hygiene by the food handler
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.
Marth, 1981

7. Foodborne hazards of microbial origin
Foodborne diseases of microbial origin
are important in food safety because of
their wide diversity.
These microbial illnesses can range in severity
from the very severe (botulism) to milder
illnesses such as staphylococcal food poisoning.
Foodborne hazards of microbial origin pose
the greatest risk to infants, to the elderly
and to debilitated persons.
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

8. Nutritional hazards
Adverse effects of nutritional hazards
come from either deficiencies or
excesses in nutrient intake.
The majority of nutritional hazards
come from an improper balancing of
the food intake in the diet.
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

9. Nutritional hazards
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

10. Nutritional hazards
• The fat-soluble vitamins (K, A, D, E) are stored
in body fat.
• Excessive intake of these vitamins, especially
vitamins A and D, might result in
accumulation with toxic side effects.
• Excess amounts of the water-soluble vitamins
(C and the B vitamins) are usually excreted in
urine and sweat, but mild cases of toxicity are
occasionally reported.
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.
Stults, 1981

11. Nutritional hazards
The degree of toxicity of the trace
elements is greatly affected by their
interactions with one another.
Toxic amounts of iron can interfere with
the absorption and utilization of
copper, zinc and manganese.
Excessive amounts of manganese can
interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12.
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.
Davies, 1978

12. Nutritional hazards
• Dietary intakes of cholesterol and saturated
fats may contribute to the development of
coronary heart disease.
• Dietary intake of fat, calories and fiber may
have some role in the likelihood of
development of cancer.
• Sodium intake may be an important factor in
the development of hypertension, which plays
a role in both stroke and heart disease.
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

13. Environmental contaminants
Environmental contaminants can find their
way into the food supply by the release of
industrial chemicals or from natural sources.
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

14. Environmental contaminants
• These contaminants often persist in the
environment and resist degradation.
• Environmental chemicals tend to have a slow
rate of metabolism and elimination, which
could result in their accumulation in certain
body tissues.
• Certain environmental contaminants can
accumulate in the food supply: mercury in
swordfish and shark, neurotoxins in shellfish.
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

15. Environmental contaminants
Some of the environmental contaminants that
pose a hazard to the food supply are:
•polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
•dioxins
•mercury
•lead
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

16. Environmental contaminants
Contaminants from natural sources usually come
from the erosion of rock formations or from soils
with naturally high levels of certain substances.
The major contaminants of natural origin are
mercury, arsenic, selenium, cadmium and tin.
Pesticides and drug residues in food-producing
animals are also included in this category.
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

17. Naturally occurring toxicants
Some of the more common naturally occurring
toxicants found in foods are:
• oxalates in spinach
• glycoalkaloids in potatoes
• mercury in swordfish
• mushroom toxins
• mycotoxins
• marine toxins
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

18. Naturally occurring toxicants
Certain other compounds like biologically active
amines and nitrosamines that can be produced
during food storage, processing or preparation
can also pose a food hazard.
The effects of human exposure to natural toxins
are difficult to study because consumption of
naturally occurring toxins is variable and often
cannot be determined.
Excessive natural toxin consumption generally
results in long-term or chronic illness whose
source can be difficult to trace.
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

19. Food additives
• Any potential hazard to humans from a certain
food additive depends on the toxicity of the food
additive and the level at which the additive is
ingested.
• The four most widely used direct food additives
are sucrose, salt, corn syrup and dextrose.
• Human exposure to indirect additives is difficult
to measure, but this exposure is minimal.
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

20. Categories of benefits
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.

21. Categories of benefits
1. Health benefits that reduce some health risk or provide
some health benefits such as improved nutrition.
2. Supply benefits relating to abundance, diversity and
economic availability.
3. Hedonic benefits that provide sensory satisfaction.
4. Benefits that lead to increased convenience.
Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of
Food Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food
Additives. Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.
Darby, 1980
Food Safety Council, 1980

22. • Sumner SS, Eifert JD. Risks and Benefits of Food
Additives. In: Branen AL et al. Food Additives.
Marcel Dekker;2002.p:27-42.
References