Who controls the use of additives?
Food Standards Australia New Zealand carries out safety assessments of food additives before they can be used, FSANZ checks whether:
- the food additive is safe (at the requested level in that particular food)
- there are good technological reasons for the use of the food additive
- will consumers be clearly informed about its presence.
A food additive is approved for use only if it can be demonstrated that no harmful effects are expected to result from the requested use. Extensive testing of food additives is required, and FSANZ evaluates this data to determine if the food additive is safe. In addition, an exposure assessment is undertaken, which estimates the likely amount of the additive that would be consumed if it was permitted. This estimate is then compared to the acceptable daily intake (ADI), which is the amount of a food additive that can be eaten every day for an entire lifetime without adverse effect.
When satisfied on these points FSANZ recommends a maximum level of the food additive permitted in particular foods, based on technological need and providing it is well within safe limits.
A food additive may only be added to food where expressly permitted in Standard 1.3.1 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Schedule 1 to the Standard details permitted uses and restrictions of food additives by food type and is hierarchical in structure. Food additive permissions listed for higher order category (e.g. 2) flow on to the next lower category (e.g. 2.1). Additional permissions may be specified for a lower category. Such permissions modify the permissions coming from the higher category, but only in respect of the food additives mentioned. The permissions for all other food additives specified for the higher category flow on to the next lower category.
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