Safety evaluation of certain food additives - ipcs inchem

SULFITES: ASSESSMENT OF DIETARY EXPOSURE 231
containing sulfites at the mean observed concentration (122 mg/l) covers 43% of
the ADI. Dietary exposure from regular daily consumption of 450 ml of white wine
would be 129% of the ADI. In the case of red wines containing sulfites at the mean
observed concentration (70 mg/l), dietary exposure would be lower, ranging from
29% of the ADI for regular consumption of 150 ml/day to 71% of the ADI for regular
consumption of 450 ml/day.
The Committee noted that the daily consumption of 450 ml of wine is not
an unrealistic scenario, since it corresponds to the observed high-percentile
consumption of wine in countries where it is regularly consumed: the 95th percentile
of consumption in a 7-day nationwide survey in Italy was 450 ml/day (Turrini et al.,
2001), and the 97.5th percentile of consumption in a 7-day nationwide survey in
France was 600 ml/day (Volatier, 2000).
In Italy, 211 samples of foods and beverages (including 85 samples of wine)
were collected among those commercially available in supermarkets (Leclercq
et al., 2000). In the case of foods that require preparation (dried fish, dehydrated
granulated potatoes, etc.), the determination of sulfites was carried out on the
foods after normal domestic preparation according to traditional Italian recipes. A
model diet was developed by combining selected foods and beverages in order to
design realistic meals with the highest possible dietary exposure to sulfites, while
being based on a regular food pattern and on standard portions and recipes. The
European Recommended Dietary Allowances (Commission of the European
Communities, 1993) were used to establish the total daily energy intake in a 30-kg
male child and a 60-kg middle-aged adult male. The sulfite contents of different
meals designed for children and adults were calculated using both EU MLs and
concentrations determined analytically. The total dietary exposures from different
selections of meals (one breakfast plus two main meals plus two between meals)
were calculated. Considering the EU MLs, a daily dietary exposure of 68.3 mg
(2.27 mg/kg bw) could be reached by children, corresponding to 325% of the ADI.
In the adults, a daily dietary exposure of 123.4 mg (2.056 mg/kg bw, 294% of the
ADI) could be reached, considering a consumption of wine of 200 ml/day.
The results obtained by using the analytical data in ready-to-consume foods
and recipes were lower than those obtained by using the MLs. The same
combination of meals used in the above-reported calculations would lead to a
dietary exposure of 23.3 mg/day (0.78 mg/kg bw) in children and 50.3 mg/day
(0.84 mg/kg bw) in adults (both slightly above the ADI, 111% and 120%,
respectively). In children, the main contributor was dried fruit contained in muesli
(contributing to 43% of the ADI, based on daily consumption of 50 g muesli
containing sulfites at 180 mg/kg). In adults, the main contributors were wine
(contributing to 44% of the ADI based on the daily consumption of 200 ml of wine
containing sulfites at 92 mg/l) and peanuts (contributing to 15% of the ADI based
on the daily consumption of 15 g of peanuts containing sulfites at 385 mg/kg). Other
food items were shown to contribute at least 10% of the ADI: beer in adults and, for
children, soft drinks, mashed potatoes and mustard. All these products would be
significant sources of sulfites in the general population, with the exception of soft
drinks, since in Italy only very specific products (for bulk dispensers) would contain
sulfites.