Food Additive Intake: Estimated Versus Actual

Abstract

The Bureau of Chemical Safety in Ottawa is particularly concerned with safety standards as they apply to chemicals in food, and for purposes of this chapter, the term “safety standard” as it relates to a food additive will be the “acceptable daily intake” (ADI). The ADI is defined as “the dietary intake of an additive which can be safely ingested daily by a human over a lifetime without appreciable risk on the basis of all known facts at the time of evaluation” [1]. The ADI is a figure usually derived from long-term toxicological testing of the additive in laboratory animal species and is normally ascertained by taking a fraction (most often 1/100) of the “No-Observed Adverse Effect Level” (NOAEL) in the most sensitive mammalian species tested. One might argue about the arbitrariness inherent in the ADI concept and in some cases, one might even argue over toxicological interpretations that lead to its estimation in specific cases. Nonetheless, most food regulatory agencies are familiar with this figure and use it as a standard against which “probable daily intakes” (PDIs) or theoretical daily intakes (TDIs) may be compared. The concept of ADIs will not be considered further as the focus of this chapter is on the forecasting and actual measurement of intakes of the additive after an ADI is established and the additive is permitted under national legislation to be used in various foods.