DISSEMINATING INFORMATION TO CONSUMERS

IX. DISSEMINATING INFORMATION TO CONSUMERS

Consumers are increasingly aware of additives in food and often express a concern about food safety or a desire for a greater availability of information. This is also the interest of regulatory authorities in Europe and the United States. In the European Union, the European Parliament is also keen to receive information on food additive intakes (Wag- staffe, 1996; Renwick, 1996; Penttila¨, 1996). Much of the information concerning food is obtained and edited by government agencies, but the dissemination of this information to consumers is not always carried out in the best way. One way to improve the current situation could be the use of health care organizations and audiovisual media to give objective reports concerning current scientific information about the composition and safety of food items. Authorities and organizations actively disseminating information about food should be able to convince consumers of the safety of major sections of the diet and indicate concern only when it is warranted.

If disseminating information to the public could achieve the same end as regulations, why are regulations required? Regulation of food additive use is preferable because infor- mation concerning individual components of the food supply may cause unnecessary con- cern among consumers, who may find it difficult to put this information into perspective. However, when information is disseminated through unofficial agencies—for example, when a certain food additive is suspected of being a carcinogen—then an alternative ap- proach is required. The relevant authority, usually a governmental agency, should publish the information currently available, give its evaluation of the possible risks involved with the additive, and outline the action it plans to undertake. It is not easy to draw up guidelines for the actions governments should undertake to form the basis of reassuring information. It is equally difficult to decide what information should be made available to consumers. However, the steps taken by government agencies may include the following: All food additives should have a safety margin incorporated into their ADIs or their equivalent, and these should be published. Any toxic effects detected in experimental animals are extremely unlikely to occur in humans due to the safety factors. The intake of food addi- tives should be surveyed regularly, and the maximum permitted concentrations in foods should be re-evaluated and reduced if intakes approach current ADIs. As methods of analysis and scientific knowledge improve, new information should be used to reassess If disseminating information to the public could achieve the same end as regulations, why are regulations required? Regulation of food additive use is preferable because infor- mation concerning individual components of the food supply may cause unnecessary con- cern among consumers, who may find it difficult to put this information into perspective. However, when information is disseminated through unofficial agencies—for example, when a certain food additive is suspected of being a carcinogen—then an alternative ap- proach is required. The relevant authority, usually a governmental agency, should publish the information currently available, give its evaluation of the possible risks involved with the additive, and outline the action it plans to undertake. It is not easy to draw up guidelines for the actions governments should undertake to form the basis of reassuring information. It is equally difficult to decide what information should be made available to consumers. However, the steps taken by government agencies may include the following: All food additives should have a safety margin incorporated into their ADIs or their equivalent, and these should be published. Any toxic effects detected in experimental animals are extremely unlikely to occur in humans due to the safety factors. The intake of food addi- tives should be surveyed regularly, and the maximum permitted concentrations in foods should be re-evaluated and reduced if intakes approach current ADIs. As methods of analysis and scientific knowledge improve, new information should be used to reassess