Week 1 - Food additives 1 + 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the definition of a food additive ?

A

substance that is added intentionally to foodstuffs to perfom a certain technological functions, for example to colour, to sweeten or to help preserve foods.

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2
Q

T or F : In the European Union (EU) all food additives are identified by an E number.

A

true

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3
Q

What are the reasons to use additives in food

A

1) to maintain product consistency; emulsifiers, thickeners
2) to improve or maintain nutritional value; vitamin, mineral restauration& enrichments
3) to maintain palatability & wholesomeness; preservatives, antioxidants
4) to provide leavening or control pH
5) to enhance flavour or impact desired colour

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4
Q

What are the three evidence that a proposed additive needs to be approved

A
  • performs as intended
  • will not cause adverse health effects and that
  • the use does not mislead the consumer at expected levels of human consumption
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5
Q

T or F : the number of the E-number refers to the type of additive

A

true.

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6
Q

T or F : for the food additives, the a TDI is set depending on the BMDL10 and NOAEL

A

false, TDI is for unavoidable chemicals while ADI is for avoidable chemicals like additives

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7
Q

T or F : if a chemical proves genotixic in the AMES test it will never be approved as use as an additive

A

true

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8
Q

What are the four groups of additives based on their ADI

A
  1. Additives with ADI defined
  2. Additives with a temporary numerical ADI
  3. Additives with an ADI that is not specified
  4. Additives with no limit (no ADI)
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9
Q

why is it very not probably that aspartame causes cancer as it is thought by some consumers

A

because it is made from phenylalanine (a.a.) and methanol and both do not cause cancer. You consumr more PHE from chicken and milk and more methanol from tomato and red grapes than what you get from aspartame

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10
Q

What are the various class established by the IARC

A

Group 1 : Carcinogenic to man, should be forbidden
Group 2A : Probably carcinogenic to man and should be forbidden
Group 2B : Possibly carcinogenic to man
Group 3 : Compound cannot be classified becaue of the lack of sufficient data
Group 4 : proven to be non-carcinogenic

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11
Q

What does IARC stands for ?

A

internation agency for research on cancer

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12
Q

In group I compounds from IARC, the studies are done on ____ while for group 2, the studies are done on ___

A

group 1 : humans
Group 2 : animals

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13
Q

True of False, some additives are listen in the group 2B (possibly carcinogenic) and group 3 (cannot be classified) by the IARC

A

true

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14
Q

T or F : According to IARC, carbon blakc, BHA and carrageenan are classified as being probably carcinogenic

A

true, the are classified in group 2A (probably carcinogenic)

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15
Q

What is the list of additives that are in group 3 of the IARC classification

A
  1. Sunset yellow (azo dye)
  2. Amaranth (red azo dye)
  3. Brilliant blue
  4. BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)
  5. Cyclamate
  6. Saccharin
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16
Q

Why is BHT not concidered carcinogenic ?

A

because there is reproductive effect seen at lower NOAEL than the carcinogenicity so the current ADI for BHT protects for the carcinogenicity (hepatocellular carcinomas in male rats)

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17
Q

True or False: all the color were re-evaluated by EFSA and were all judge to be safe

A

false, most of them had their ADI increased (safer than previously judge) but Red 2G was removed because judged unsafe.

18
Q

Why was Red 2G removed from the E-number list ?

A

because it is an azo-dye that is converted to aniline in the gut and aniline cannot be excluded to cause DNa damage and cancer.

19
Q

Why was the ADI of sunset yellow increased ?

A

because the previous studies done on rats showing that there was an effect on the testis could not be reproduced and the sunset yellow color might have contained some impurities since the purity was not known. so the ADI (2.5mg/kg bw / day) was increased (4 mg)

20
Q

T or F : Majorityof food additives EDI far below ADI and use is considered safe at present state of knowledge

A

true

21
Q

What are the additives often associated with hypersensitivity & allergy

A
  1. The azo dyes (tartrazine, azorubine, cochenille red, brown FK, sunset yellow)
  2. Some synthetic dyes
  3. Benzoates
  4. Sulfites
  5. Glutamates
22
Q

What are the most common type of hypersensitivity / allergy thought to be caused by additives ?

A
  1. Gastrointestinal disorders
  2. Skin disorders
  3. Respiratory disorders
  4. Other symptoms
23
Q

what is the tactic used for preventing allergic reactions ?

A

good labelling, you can’t set the ADI for allergic individuals since the ADI will be extremly low.

24
Q

T or F : it has been shown that sulfites can cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals

A

true

25
Q

T or F : Only azo-dyes are associated with allergy and hypersensitivity

A

false, both azo-dyes and non azo-dyes are associated with hypersensitivity.

26
Q

What is the general structure of azo-dyes ?

A

will contain a N=N moiety

27
Q

What is the proposed mechanism for the hypersensitivity caused by tartrazine ?

A

Interference with PGE (prostaglandine synthesis) because most acetyl salicylic acid sensitive individuals are also sensitive to tartrazine

28
Q

What is the mechanism behind the Type I immunological reaction to dyes ?

A

The igE receptor can bind the allergen and makes the cell reacts and release in histamins. If you are allergic to dyes then it link to this recepotr and resiults in real immunological hypersensitivty.

29
Q

What are the various underlying mechanisms thought to be implicated in hypersensitivity

A

1- immunological mechanisms (type I or type IV)
2- Non uimmunological mechanisms
3- Direct injury to stomach mucous
4- Interference with prostaglandin synthesis
5- unknown

30
Q

What is the type IV delayed hypersensitivty mechanism to explain the sensitivity to additives

A
31
Q

What were the problems with the Kraiser-Permanente study that improved by 50% ADHD in kids taking diets without dyes and salicylates or other studies done before the 80’s

A

1- there was no double blind
2-Dose of dye were very high
3- selection criteria of the subjects were uncler
4- no reliable control groups
5- undefined mixture of dyes
6- Difficulties in diagnosis of behaviour

32
Q

what was the conclusion ofthe Southhampton study (McCann, 2007)

A

artificial colors or a sodium benzoate preservative or both in the diet result in increased hyperactivity in 3-year and 8/9 year-old children in the general population

33
Q

What was the conclusion of the Bateman study (2004)

A

there was more ADHD in the week the children were exposed.

34
Q

What were the mix of dye studied by McCann et al.

A

Mix A : contained Sunset yellow, carmoisine, tartrazine, ponceau 4R Produced small significant effect in 3 y/o not 8/9 y/o

Mix B : contained sunset yellow, carmoisine, quinoline yellow and allura Produced small significant effect in 8/9 y/o and not 3 y/o

35
Q

T or F : children used in the McCann study were diagnosed with hyperacitvity / ADHD

A

false, McCann et al. selected the children that do not have ADHD and they defined the global hyperactivity aggregate score (own way of quantifying the behaviour) and this was based on behaviour observed by : 1- teachers, 2- class room observers 3- parents 4- computer test for attention

36
Q

Why did EFSA concluded that the McCann study was not relevant ?

A

1- Limited consistency results
2- Unknown clinical relevance of GHA. score used
3- Small effect size
4- Study tested mixtures
5- Lack of dose response curve
6- Lack of hypothesized mechanism for the induction of behavioural effect of the consumption of additives
7- Findings can’t be used to alter the ADI

37
Q

T or F : EFSA did the risk assessment and said azo dyes are not raising concern but EU made the risk management an banned the azo dyes based on the precautionary principle

A

true

38
Q

T or F : since 2010, the foods containing azo-dyes need a warning label stating that it “may cause adverse effect on the activity and attention in children”

A

true

39
Q

T or F : The effects of dyes seem to occur in particular in sensitive groups: urticaria and asthma patients

A

true

40
Q

T or F : Labeling of E-numbers is of importance for the consumer

A

true

41
Q
A