Today’s Class:Additives, Pesticides, and Natural ToxicantsMAIN POINTS:What is an “additive”? How are additives treated legally?Sources and types of “toxins”How are natural toxicants treated under

the law?

ADDITIVESThere are about 3,000 approved

food additives

1958 Amendments to FD&C (Food Drug and Cosmetic) Act

Regulates any substance..which becomes a component of food, *if* not generally recognized as safe (by experts) or in use prior to Jan 1, 1958.

GRAS = Generally Recognized as SafeGRAS = Generally Recognized as Safe The Act excludes spices, smoke derivatives GRAS concept, ways to gain GRAS status

Grand-fathered FDA GRAS-affirmation (Flavors- Flavor Extract

Manufacturers Association) Self-affirmation

Other additive requirements Intentional additive must “work”Cannot be deceptive or conceal defectsCannot reduce nutritional valueCannot substitute for Good

Manufacturing PracticesMust have method of analysis

The FD&C Act also brought us

THE DELANY CLAUSE

“no additive shall be deemed safe if it is found to induce cancer in humans or animals

when ingested in any in any amount”amount”

Many compounds naturally occurring in food cannot meet this test.Remember furfural in bread? Aflatoxins in peanut butter?DELANY reflects a 1958 understanding of carcinogens

Types of Food Additives

AntioxidantsLipid oxidation gives rise to rancidity, off

flavors, off odors, and free radicalsAnything that can be oxidized (Vit E, C)

can serve as antioxidantCan also exclude oxygen, use oxygen

impermeable packaging.BHA, BHT

Preservatives Salt Organic acids

Benzoates Acetic, Citric, Lactic

Sulfur dioxide Nitrite

Other additives Flavors, “natural flavor” from yeast Flavor enhancers (MSG) , can be “natural” Acidulants Sweeteners (ingredient) Gums, thickeners and stabilizers Surfactants Nutrients (vitamins and minerals) Emulsifiers Enzymes Chelators (EDTA) (Metals accelerate

degradative reactions)

Toxins in Food

Mother nature can be...

…well, a real “mother.”

“Human intake of nature’s pesticides is about 10,000 times higher than human intake of synthetic pesticides that are rodent carcinogens.”-American Council on Science and Health.

Three sources of toxins in food

Endogenous toxinsNaturally occurring toxinsSynthetic toxins

Risk Assessment = Dose response + Exposure Assessment

Dose response: Threshold or no Threshold?

Toxicology- Questions for Synthetic Chemicals

Risk Assessment = Dose Response + Exposure Assessment

Dose response: Threshold or no Threshold?

(Relationship to Delany?)

Dose

Response

ENDOGENOUS TOXINSNaturally toxic chemicals in plants

Hemaggultinins – castor and soy beans “ricin”

Cyanogens- cassava, beansPhytoalexins – potatoSafarole – sassafras, black pepperNitrites – celery, dark green vegetablesCyanide – apricot pits

“Solely the dose determines that a thing is … a poison”Parcelis, 16th century(i.e. “The dose makes the poison.”)

Myristicin in carrots is a halluncinogen> 400 mg required*Carrots contain 0.6 ug/kgYou need to consume ~ 667 kg (> 1,000 pounds) to reach the effective dose*Mutmeg also contains myristicin, and a fewtablespoons can get you high (or sick)

NATURALLY OCCURING TOXINS Fungal ToxicantsOchratoxin Cereal grains Kidney

Patulin

50 ppb

Apple products Kidney

Alimentary toxic alukia

Cereal grains Bone marrow

80% fatality

Zeraralenone Corn, wheat Hyper-estro-genisms

Ergot alkaloids- associated with rye, delusions and hallucinations

Aflatoxin – corn and peanuts

15 ppb ok (legally)

Marine ToxinsFUGU FISH One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue FishHomer à manger du Fugu, un poisson mortel, dans un restaurant japonais. Il ne lui reste plus alors que 24 heures à vivre.

                   

         

Saxitoxin – clams, paralytic shell-fish poisoning, red tideDomoic Acid - muscles

Bioaccumulation

Animal Testing

Animal Testing

“Animal foods tested on humans”

Chemicals in the environment

Pesticides – act against insects

-Organochlorides – persist (DDT)

-Organophosphates – degrade Herbicides – act against weeds Integrated Pest Management Use of Pesticides and Herbicides

has decreased 50% since 1980

Pesticides 300 active

ingredient 10,000 uses 1.2 billion pounds ~ 8 lbs/ person

(applied)

$20 billion crops destroyed (w/ pesticides)

Fungicides prevent aflatoxin

Increase yield, decrease crop losses

Regulated by EPA, USDA, FDA

Many arguments for and against pesticides-impact of genetic engineering

Pesticide Testing (is limited)

No detectable pesticides in 60% of conventional produce

Pesticide Testing (is limited)

No detectable pesticides in 60% of conventional produce

Pesticides are detected in 40% of produce

Pesticide Testing (is limited) No detectable pesticides in 60% of conventional produce

Pesticides are detected in 40% of produceIn 39%, detection is at less than one-

tenth of tolerance level (which has 100-fold safety factor)

Only 1 % of produce tested has pesticides in excess of tolerance

Wash with warm soapy water

Other nasty beastiesCarcinogens in smoked foodsPyrolysis productsPCBs – chloroacne, headache,

numbness

“The hypothetical risk posed by food additives is greatly exceeded by the very real risk posed by not eating.”

Enjoy your food.

-Prof. Don Schaffner,

Rutgers University