JECFA concludes evaluations of several food additives

Today the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) published its summary report of the 96th meeting. The scientific experts gathered to Geneva from 27 June to 6 July to look into the safety of use of aspartame and fifteen flavourings when used in food as food additives.

For all substances, JECFA performed a comprehensive risk assessment, which is a four-step scientific process that includes hazard identification, hazard characterization, dietary exposure assessment and risk characterization. Based on that scientific process, the Committee considered related hazards that might be attributable to aspartame and to the flavouring substances.

The Committee re-evaluated aspartame and concluded that there was no convincing evidence from experimental animal or human data that aspartame has adverse effects after ingestion. This conclusion is underpinned by the information that aspartame is fully hydrolysed in the gastrointestinal tract into metabolites that are identical to those absorbed after consumption of common foods, and that no aspartame enters the systemic circulation. The Committee concluded that the data evaluated at the present meeting indicated no reason to change the previously established ADI of 0–40 mg/kg bw for aspartame. The Committee therefore reaffirmed the ADI of 0–40 mg/kg bw for aspartame at the present meeting and revised its specifications.

Regarding the flavouring substances, the Committee concluded that there is no safety concern and established their specifications.

JECFA is an international scientific expert committee administered jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and WHO. JECFA serves as an independent scientific expert committee that provides scientific advice based on six core principles: soundness, responsibility, objectivity, fairness, transparency, and inclusiveness. Scientific experts are selected on the basis of their competence and independence, taking into account geographical representation. Selected experts work in their personal capacity and not as representatives of their country/institution. More information on the JECFA experts is available here. As per its usual process, the JECFA Secretariat invited all stakeholders to provide any relevant data pertaining to those substances via a dedicated Call.  

Read the summary report here http://www.fao.org/3/cc6908en/cc6908en.pdf