ALUMINIUM-containing food additives

Comments:

The Committee established a provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of 2 mg/kg body weight based on a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of 30 mg/kg body weight per day and application of a safety factor of 100. The PTWI applies to all aluminium compounds in food, including food additives. The previous PTWI of 1 mg/kg body weight was withdrawn. For adults, the estimates of mean dietary exposure to aluminium-containing food additives from consumption of cereals and cereal-based products are up to the PTWI. Estimates of dietary exposure of children to aluminium-containing food additives, including high dietary exposures (e.g. 90th or 95th percentile), can exceed the PTWI by up to 2-fold. For potassium aluminium silicate–based pearlescent pigments at the maximum proposed use levels and using conservative estimates, anticipated dietary exposure at the highest range of estimates is 200 times higher than the PTWI. The Committee emphasized that whereas substances that have long half-lives and accumulate in the body are not generally considered suitable for use as food additives, consumption of aluminium-containing food additives would not be a health concern, provided that total dietary exposure to aluminium is below the PTWI. The Committee recommended that provisions for food additives containing aluminium included in the Codex General Standard for Food Additives should be compatible with the revised PTWI for aluminium compounds of 2 mg/kg body weight as aluminium from all sources.

Specs Code:

N, T

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