Assessing food additives: the good, the bad and the ugly

Abstract

Introduction The efficiency of analytical methods for the determination of food additives is of utmost importance since their content in food affects both quality and safety of foods. Objective The objective of the present article is to survey the current status of analytical methods for certain food additives (namely, colours, sweeteners, preservatives and antioxidants) and to point out the needs for the improvement of the existing, or the development of new, analytical methods. Method The criteria used to select the specific additives from among other categories of food additives, comprise broad use, legislative limits, and high frequency of notification through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). Results Certain needs were identified regarding the availability of rapid methods for the analysis of food additives. Conclusion Furthermore, there is need for the development of screening and high throughput methods for multicomponent analysis.