Thursday, November 4, 2010

EFSA Intend to Re-evaluate the Safety of Canthaxanthin as a Food Additive

According to Flex-news reported that recently, the European Commission announced that the Panel on Food Additives and Nutritional Assessment at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) should re-valuate the safety of Canthaxanthin (E161g) as a food pigments, and publish the evaluation results on this food additive. In addition, the Commission also requested that the evaluation result should established based on the original assessment result.


It is understood that the United Nations Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) / World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) had already evaluated the safety of Canthaxanthin (E161g) in 1974, 1987 and 1995 respectively, and the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) also had evaluated the safety of Canthaxanthin (E161g) in 1983, 1987 and 1997 respectively, upon the assessment on this food additive by these two committee, the daily intake (ADI) of Canthaxanthin (E161g) has been determined to be 0.03 mg / kg .

Remark:

Canthaxanthin (E161g) is a kind of food pigment as carotenoid, which was mainly composed of β-carotene -4,4 '-dione, and a small amount of other carotenoids. Most of EU authorities has already approved the substance as a food additive, as a food additive used in Saucissede Strasbourg, and the maximum daily intake is 15 mg / kg. Currently, this substance has also been approved as a animal feed additive by the EU.

Originally Posted: About Additive