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EFSA reviews safety of glutamates added to food

Wooden spoon containing glutamate with a soup plate on the background

EFSA has established a safe intake The amount of a substance (e.g. nutrient or chemical) that is ingested by a person or animal via the diet. level for glutamic acid and glutamates used as food additives after re-evaluating their safety. The Authority also concluded that estimated dietary exposure For the purposes of risk assessment, measurement of the amount of a substance consumed by a person or animal in their diet that is intentionally added or unintentionally present (e.g. a nutrient, additive or pesticide). to glutamic acid and glutamates may exceed not only the safe level but also doses associated with adverse effects in humans for some population Community of humans, animals or plants from the same species. groups. On this basis, EFSA’s experts recommend reviewing the maximum permitted levels for these food additives.

Glutamic acid is an amino acid The constituent block that makes up proteins. Some can be produced by the human body whereas others can be obtained only through the diet., a building block of proteins, naturally produced in humans and occurring in free form, for example, in tomatoes, soy sauce or certain cheeses. Glutamic acid and its salts (E 620-625), commonly referred to as glutamates, are authorised food additives in the European Union (EU). They are added to a wide range of foods to enhance their flavour by giving them a “savoury” or “meaty” taste.

EFSA re-assessed the safety of glutamates used as food additives and derived a group acceptable daily intake ( ADI An estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking water that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without presenting an appreciable risk to health. It is usually expressed as milligrams of the substance per kilogram of body weight per day and applies to chemical substances such as food additives, pesticide residues and veterinary drugs.) of 30 mg/kg body weight per day for all six of these additives. This safe level of intake is based on the highest dose at which scientists observed no adverse effects on test animals in toxicity The potential of a substance to cause harm to a living organism. studies.

Protecting consumer health

Dr Claude Lambré, member of EFSA’s Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient An element or compound needed for normal growth, development and health maintenance. Essential nutrients cannot be made by the body and must, therefore, be consumed from food. Sources Added to Food, and Chair of the working group tasked with the re-evaluation, said: “Based on the available evidence, we are confident that the newly derived group ADI An estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking water that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without presenting an appreciable risk to health. It is usually expressed as milligrams of the substance per kilogram of body weight per day and applies to chemical substances such as food additives, pesticide residues and veterinary drugs. for glutamic acid and glutamates is protective of consumers’ health, as it is below the doses that have been associated with certain effects in humans, such as headache, raised blood pressure and increased insulin levels.”

Currently, there is no numerical safe intake level ( ADI An estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking water that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without presenting an appreciable risk to health. It is usually expressed as milligrams of the substance per kilogram of body weight per day and applies to chemical substances such as food additives, pesticide residues and veterinary drugs.) specified for glutamic acid and glutamates used as food additives in the EU.

In the EU the addition of glutamates is generally permitted up to a maximum level of 10 g/kg of food. In salt substitutes, seasonings and condiments, there is no numerical maximum permitted level for glutamates and they must be used in line with good manufacturing practices.

Assessing dietary exposure

In a refined exposure assessment, EFSA’s scientists combined realistic food consumption data, use levels of glutamates reported by industry and analytical results from Member States. They estimated that exposure Concentration or amount of a particular substance that is taken in by an individual, population or ecosystem in a specific frequency over a certain amount of time. to glutamates added to food may exceed the proposed ADI An estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking water that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without presenting an appreciable risk to health. It is usually expressed as milligrams of the substance per kilogram of body weight per day and applies to chemical substances such as food additives, pesticide residues and veterinary drugs. for individuals of all population groups whose diet is high in foods containing these additives, as well as for toddlers and children with medium exposure. Exposure may also exceed doses associated with some adverse effects in humans (e.g. headache) for highly exposed infants, children and adolescents.

EFSA’s experts also considered other dietary sources of glutamate besides food additives (including natural presence and addition as nutrient). They found that exposure estimates largely exceed, in several population groups with medium to high exposure, both the proposed ADI An estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking water that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without presenting an appreciable risk to health. It is usually expressed as milligrams of the substance per kilogram of body weight per day and applies to chemical substances such as food additives, pesticide residues and veterinary drugs. and levels associated with some adverse effects in humans.

Dr Lambré said: “Based on the results of our exposure assessment One of the key steps in risk assessment, this relates to a thorough evaluation of who, or what, has been exposed to a hazard and a quantification of the amounts involved., we recommend reviewing the maximum levels for glutamic acid and glutamates added to food, in particular for fine bakery wares, soups and broths, sauces, meat and meat products, seasoning and condiments and food supplements.”

EFSA’s scientific advice will inform risk managers in the European Commission and Member States who regulate the safe use of glutamates as food additives in the EU.

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