EFSA Lowers ADI on Amaranth

PARMA, ItalyThe European Food Safety Authoritys (EFSA) scientific panel on additives (ANS Panel) concluded its safety assessment of the red food color Amaranth (E123), completing the re-evaluation of all azo dyes authorized for use in the European Union.

Amaranth can be used to color foods such as aperitif drinks and fish roe. After reviewing all available toxicological data, the Panel determined Amaranth is not genotoxic or carcinogenic. The Panel set an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for the substance of 0.15 mg per kg body weight per day, lowering the ADIs previously established in 1984 respectively by the Scientific Committee on Food (0-0.8 mg/kg bw/day) and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (0-0.5 mg/kg bw/day).

While the mean exposure of adults is far below the ADI, adults consuming regularly extremely high amounts of Americano (cocktail of vermouth and red aperitif mixer) and aperitif wine drinks containing the color at the maximum permitted level might exceed the ADI six times, the Panel noted. Childrens exposure was estimated to be 30 times lower than the ADI.