Safety and the ADI
Why are sweeteners safe?
Based on long-term studies and scientific evidence, expert committees attached
to the World Health Organisation (WHO) regularly evaluated the safety in
use of any given food additive, including sweeteners, and establish what
is called the "acceptable daily intake" (ADI). In the UK all sweeteners
are subject to the regulations of the directives on foodstuffs and food
additives.
The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the World Health
Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the
United Nations specify the ADI (acceptable daily intake) for all food additives.
Calculation of the ADI is based on in-depth analysis of all available scientific
data and all results of studies. The daily ration found to be harmless in
animals is then divided by a safety factor of 100. This gives us the ADI
- the amount per kilogram of body weight that a person can consume day in,
day out, for a whole lifetime without any detectable risk.
Far from being a toxicological threshold, the ADI is simply a recommendation
for the average, totally safe, daily consumption of sweeteners and other
food additives.
The ADI of Saccharin for an adult weighing 70 kg (11 stone) is 5 mg a day,
which is equivalent to 180 g sugar; with Cyclamate it is 11 mg (roughly
equivalent to 30 g sugar); with Acesulfame-K, International level 15 mg
(roughly equivalent to 125 g sugar) and European level 9 mg (roughly 80
g sugar) and for Aspartame, 40 mg (roughly equivalent to 560 g sugar). Studies
on eating habits have shown that, as a rule, these amounts are not exceeded. However, even if these daily amounts are exceeded occasionally,
the safety factor of 100 means that it is perfectly safe.
NOEL and ADI
The no-effect level (NOEL) is determined in animal studies. It is the amount
of additive that can be fed to animals every day without causing any detectable
harm. This number is then divided by a high safety factor, usually a hundred,
and it is this second figure that is taken as the ADI for man. If, for instance,
an animal study has established a no-effect level of 100 mg per kilogram
of body weight, this is generally converted to 1 mg/kg body weight for man.
The high safety factor takes account of not only the differences between
animals and man, but also the variations from one individual to another.
This means that consideration is given to other criteria, such as state
of health, diet, age etc.
It must be stressed that the ADI is not a toxicological threshold. It is
a bona fide figure for the amount that can be consumed safely and without
any harm whatsoever. There is no reason to worry if the ADI is exceeded
occasionally, as long as the average daily intake is within the ADI. The
ADI always refers to the average daily consumption over a long period, not
just an individual day.
The purpose of the ADI is to aid in setting the limits when drafting legislation
on commercial clearance for food additives (including sweeteners).
1) WHO Technical Report Series No. 539 'Toxicological evaluation of certain
food additives with a review of general principles and of specifications',
1974
2) Commission of the European Communities 'Report of the Scientific Committee
for Food (tenth series) - Guidelines for the Safety Assessment of Food Additives',
EUR 6892, 1980
Expert statement
'Some naturally occurring substances would not obtain commercial clearance
nowadays under the law on food if the same strict conditions were applied
as for the so-called 'synthetic' compounds. Sweeteners, for instance, are
among the best researched substances in the world.'
(Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Schmidt, University of Tübingen)
Calculating your ADI
The ADI-level is set to determine the acceptable daily dietary intake of sweeteners that may be consumed without any appreciated risk. The accebtable daily intake applies to the daily intake for your whole life and is a recommendation for long term consumption. Exceeding the ADI-level of intake for a short period therefore would be of no risk.
Hermesetas have an extensive international Product range.
All our products are produced from the finest ingredients. To give the best possible taste the blending of our products may vary in accordance to individual country preferences.
To calculate the ADI in your country, please make your choice from the following Menu: