Week 1 - Food additives 1 + 2

Question 1

What is the definition of a food additive ?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

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

Answer 2

true

Question 3

What are the reasons to use additives in food

Answer 3

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

Question 4

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

Answer 4

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

Question 5

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

Answer 5

true.

Question 6

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

Answer 6

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

Question 7

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

Answer 7

true

Question 8

What are the four groups of additives based on their ADI

Answer 8

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)

Question 9

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

Answer 9

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

Question 10

What are the various class established by the IARC

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What does IARC stands for ?

Answer 11

internation agency for research on cancer

Question 12

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

Answer 12

group 1 : humans
Group 2 : animals

Question 13

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

Answer 13

true

Question 14

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

Answer 14

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

Question 15

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

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Why is BHT not concidered carcinogenic ?

Answer 16

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)

Question 17

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

Answer 17

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

Question 18

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

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

Why was the ADI of sunset yellow increased ?

Answer 19

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)

Question 20

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

Answer 20

true

Question 21

What are the additives often associated with hypersensitivity & allergy

Answer 21

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

Question 22

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

Answer 22

1. Gastrointestinal disorders
2. Skin disorders
3. Respiratory disorders
4. Other symptoms

Question 23

what is the tactic used for preventing allergic reactions ?

Answer 23

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

Question 24

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

Answer 24

true

Question 25

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

Answer 25

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

Question 26

What is the general structure of azo-dyes ?

Answer 26

will contain a N=N moiety

Question 27

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

Answer 27

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

Question 28

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

Answer 28

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.

Question 29

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

Answer 29

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

Question 30

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

Answer 30

Question 31

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

Answer 31

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

Question 32

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

Answer 32

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

Question 33

What was the conclusion of the Bateman study (2004)

Answer 33

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

Question 34

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

Answer 34

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

Question 35

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

Answer 35

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

Question 36

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

Answer 36

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

Question 37

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

Answer 37

true

Question 38

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”

Answer 38

true

Question 39

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

Answer 39

true

Question 40

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

Answer 40

true