IADSA’s Action to Retain Additives Yields Positive Results 

07/05/07 Efforts to retain nine additives at IADSA’s proposed levels in the Codex General Standard for Food Additives list bore fruit last week, with all being recommended for adoption.

Castor Oil, Polysorbates, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Acesulfame Potassium, Aspartame, Cyclamates, Neotame, Saccharin, Sucralose were endorsed at levels proposed by the lobby group the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA) during the Codex Committee on Food Additives meeting in Beijing last week.

The recommendation comes as a victory for IADSA members following two years of compiling technical information to support the need for these additives at certain levels, and after actively distributing its results among governments for consideration. In previous Codex discussions some of the additives had teetered dangerously close to deletion while others were being considered at lower levels.

“Due to IADSA’s submissions from information provided by our members, as well as active participation and dialogue with governments, these additives and various others used in food supplements are now being considered for their final adoption at levels currently used by the industry we represent,” said David Pineda, IADSA’s Director of Regulatory Affairs.

The additives will now be put forward to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption in July. The Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) sets down conditions for permitted food additives to be used in all foods. It is regularly updated to include additional food additive provisions adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

IADSA’s proposed levels for the additives are: Castor Oil (1,000 mg/kg), Polysorbates (25,000 mg/kg), Polyvinyl Alcohol (45,000 mg/kg), Acesulfame Potassium (2,000 mg/kg), Aspartame (5,500 mg/kg), Cyclamates (1,250 mg/kg), Neotame (90 mg/kg), Saccharin (1,200 mg/kg), and Sucralose (2,400 mg/kg). An additional 13 additives including the sweetener aspartame-acesulfame salt and colours are due to be considered for inclusion next year.

Last year IADSA managed to prevent the deletion of four additives (Iron oxides, Castor oil, Chlorophylls/copper complexes and Erythrosine) at meetings of both the Codex Additives Committee and the Codex Commission, and successfully raised the levels of an additional three – BHA, BHT and Carnauba wax.