ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the safety assessment of food chemicals. The range in complexity and cost from simple theoretical estimations to detailed analysis of the concentrations of specific chemicals in food and the amounts actually consumed. Although in vitro and in vivo studies in animals are central to the recognition of hazards and risk assessment, information on humans is of great value in relation to determining the extent of exposure and the relevance of effects predicted by toxicity tests. Additional toxicokinetic studies may be useful to investigate toxicological concerns raised during animal tests. Humans show a wide range of patterns of food intake in both the types and quantities of food eaten. The average milk intake in infants less than 3 months old is 800 ml/day, and an “extreme consumer” would be unlikely to consume more than twice this amount. The excretory and metabolic functions of children over 6 months old are the same as or may exceed those of adults.
