Safety evaluation of certain food additives - ipcs inchem

SULFITES: ASSESSMENT OF DIETARY EXPOSURE 239
In all countries for which data were available, total dietary exposure to
sulfites in the general population was under the ADI at the mean but greater than
the ADI at high percentiles of exposure. In particular, dietary exposure was shown
to reach twice the ADI in children and teenagers in some countries. This was true
even when the concentration of sulfites in ready-to-consume foods was taken into
consideration. The Committee noted that some of the assessments of dietary
exposure were derived from 1-day food consumption survey data, which are known
to overestimate long-term consumption for rarely consumed foods. For this reason,
the Committee investigated whether the main contributors to dietary exposure were
foods and beverages that are commonly consumed.
The Committee noted that the main contributors to total dietary exposure
to sulfites differ in the different countries owing to differing patterns of consumption
of food to which sulfites may be added and to differing patterns of use of sulfites
in foods. Thus, dried fruit, sausages and non-alcoholic beverages were the
main contributors of sulfites in some countries, whereas these foods are generally
produced without the use of sulfites in other countries.
In children and teenagers, a significant contribution to mean exposure to
sulfites could come from fruit juices and soft drinks (including cordial), sausages,
various forms of processed potatoes, dried fruit and nuts.
In all countries where wine is regularly consumed, it was one of the main
contributors to exposure in adults. Sulfites are always present in wine, and the
average concentration determined analytically is usually around 100 mg/l,
significantly lower than the MLs in the current Codex GSFA. However, even at this
concentration, a regular consumption of 150 ml/day leads to a dietary exposure of
15 mg/day (0.25 mg/kg bw in a 60-kg adult), covering one third of the ADI. A regular
consumer of 450 ml would be exposed to the full ADI, under any of the current
national provisions and under Codex provisions. Other significant contributions to
dietary exposure in the adult population come from dried fruit, sausages and beer.
In some countries, the total dietary exposure per kilogram body weight is higher
in adults than in children, due to wine consumption. In other countries, dietary
exposure per kilogram body weight is higher in children and teenagers.
Countries that have not yet done so could consider collecting data on the
current use of sulfites in food and beverages available on their markets and
investigating whether dietary exposure in some subpopulations exceeds the ADI.
On the basis of this investigation, individual countries and the food industry could
consider the possibility of taking one or more of the following measures to reduce
dietary exposure to sulfites so that the ADI is not exceeded in the population: 1)
align national legislation with Codex MLs where these are lower; 2) take action to
effectively enforce national MLs; 3) encourage research on alternative methods of
preservation, particularly on applications in which the use of sulfites is responsible
for a significant contribution; and 4) take action so that the use of sulfites is reduced
in foods where safe alternative solutions are available.
Codex codes of practice for certain groups of food commodities, such as fruit
juice, dried fruit and processed meat, could include suggestions to help all countries
and the food industry in the implementation of a reduction of the use of sulfites in