EFSA finds erythritol safety margin for beverages too slim.

Levels of Erythritol are accepted in food, but in beverages are still in discussion.

The use of erythritol in beverages at a proposed level of 2.5 per cent could cause a safety concern for small children, EFSA says, as the margin between estimated daily intake and the no-observed-adverse-effects-level (NOAEL) is too small.

EFSA gave a positive safety opinion on the use of erythritol, a zero calorie four-carbon polyol, in foods in 2003, and it received novel foods approval in 2006. It has not been approved for use in beverages, however, as the opinion stated that the laxative threshold may be exceeded.

Erythritol does have a higher laxative threshold than other polyols, and the NOAEL for laxation has been calculated at between 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg bw/day.

If erythritol were used at a level of 2.5 per cent in cordials and diet soft drinks (carbonated and non-carbonated), the highest-consuming children in the 4 to 6 year age bracket could consume as much as 11.6g per person a day. For 1.5 to 4.5 year olds the level was 1.4g per person, and for teenagers aged 15 to 18 years it was 8.8g per person.

For the 4 to 6 year olds, a more precise NOAEL has been established at 0.71 g/kg bw/day. The safety margin between this and the estimated daily intake of the highest consuming 4 to 6 year olds is 1.24 per cent.

Aporte: Rodrigo Miranda

Fuente: http://www.foodnavigator.com/