ABSTRACT
Introduction .......................................................................................... 188 Food Additive Functionality................................................................ 188 Food Additive Regulations .................................................................. 188
Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) ............................................ 189 The Delaney Clause.......................................................................... 190 Unintentional Additives .................................................................. 190
Assessment of Food Safety` ................................................................. 190 Specific Food Additives Under Scrutiny ............................................. 191
Saccharin ........................................................................................... 191 Aspartame......................................................................................... 193
Hydrolysis Products of Aspartame ............................................. 194 Aspartic Acid ........................................................................... 194 Phenylalanine........................................................................... 194 Methanol................................................................................... 194 Diketopiperazine...................................................................... 195
Marketing of Aspartame .............................................................. 195 Erythrosine (FD & C Red #3) ........................................................... 196 Olestra ............................................................................................... 197
Anectodal Reports of Health Effects Due to Olestra.................. 197 Effects of Olestra on Nutrient Absorption.................................. 198
Vitamin A ................................................................................. 198 Vitamin E .................................................................................. 199 Vitamin D ................................................................................. 199 Vitamin K ................................................................................. 199 Triglycerides............................................................................. 199 Dietary Phytochemicals ........................................................... 200
References ............................................................................................. 200
Food additives have been used for centuries in food processing practices such as smoking and salting meat. Prior to the advent of refrigeration, food grown in the summer had to be preserved for the winter; salt, sugar, and vinegar were commonly used preservatives. The pursuits of explorers such as Marco Polo were often for food additives. Additives serve many roles and common uses include maintaining product consistency and palatability, providing leavening or control pH, enhancing flavor, and imparting color.
