International Regulation-Intense Sweeteners
EYASSU G AB EG AZ, P HD
ILSI B RAZIL MEETIN G
MARC H 2 8 , 2 0 1 7
Outline
What is the function of Codex Alimentarius Commission in reference to
sweeteners standards ?
What are the functions of Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA),
Codex Committee on Food labeling (CCFL) , Joint Expert Committee on
Food Additives (JECFA) in relation to sweeteners?
How are the different reports from Codex meetings communicated?
Which of the sweeteners are currently adopted for use in foods by Codex?
Summary
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS is a collection of internationally recognized food standards, guidelines
and codes of practice and recommendations related to food, food production and food safety
adopted by Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC).
In 1963, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO)
established the Joint Food Standards Programme and Statutes for the Codex Alimentarius
Commission (CAC) with the purpose of protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair
practices in the food trade.
188 Codex Members - 187 Member Countries and 1 Member Organization (EU) 240 Codex
Observers - 56 IGOs, 168 NGOs, 16 UN
Codex members cover 99% of the world's population.
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)
Codex standards while recommendations for voluntary application by members, it serves in
many cases as a basis for national legislation by member countries.
Codex food safety standards are referenced in the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Agreement
on Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures (SPS Agreement). Codex has far reaching implications
for resolving trade disputes.
If WTO members wishes to apply stricter food safety measures than those set by Codex, the
member may be required to justify these measures scientifically.
The Commission also promotes coordination of all food standards work undertaken by
international governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA)
Establish or endorse permitted maximum levels for individual intense sweeteners;
Prepare priority lists of intense sweeteners for risk assessment by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert
Committee on Food Additives (JECFA);
Assign functional classes to individual intense sweeteners;
Recommend specifications of identity and purity of intense sweeteners for adoption by the
Commission;
Consider methods of analysis for the determination of intense sweeteners in food; and
Consider and elaborate standards or codes for related subjects such as the labelling of intense
sweeteners when sold as such.
Host : China, held once/yr
Codex General Standard for Food
Additives (GSFA)
The "Codex General Standard for Food Additives" (GSFA, Codex STAN 192-1995) sets forth the
conditions under which permitted intense sweeteners may be used in all foods, whether or not
they have previously been standardized by Codex.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission also maintains a database of standard for intense
sweeteners
Intense sweetener provisions are searchable by food additive (name, synonym, INS number), by
functional class and by food category, as described in Annex B of the Codex GSFA.
Joint Expert on Food Additives (JECFA)
Elaborates principles for evaluating intense sweeteners safety and for quantifying their risks;
Conducts toxicological evaluations and establishes acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) or tolerable
intakes for chronic exposure and other guidance values for acute exposure;
Assess the performance, quality and applicability of analytical methods;
Prepares specifications of purity for intense sweeteners; and assesses dietary exposure of
populations to intense sweeteners in food
To date, JECFA has evaluated 16 intense sweeteners and their salts
Meets twice per/yr in Geneva, Switzerland
JECFA Publications
An electronic summary with the main findings and conclusions of the JECFA meeting is published
by the Joint Secretariat shortly after each meeting.
The concise description of the key data used in the assessments, the evaluation of these data
and the conclusions of the committee are published by WHO in the Technical Report Series.
Toxicological and exposure assessment monographs are published in the WHO Food Additive
Series (FAS).
Compendium of FAO Food Additive Specifications is published by the Food and Agriculture
Organization, contain detailed specifications on the identity and purity of food additives and
flavoring agents.
JECFA Evaluation of Intense Sweeteners
Intense Sweeteners
INS
ADI
Year
Acesulfame potassium
950
0-15 mg/kg bw
1990
Advantame
969
0-5 mg/kg bw
2013
Aspartame
951
0-40 mg/kg bw
1981
Aspartame –Acesulfame potassium
962
0-40 mg/kg bw;
0-15 mg/kg bw
2000
Alitame
956
0-1 mg/kg bw
1996
Cyclamate, Calcium
952 (ii)
0-11 mg/kg bw
1982
Cyclamate, Sodium
952 (iv)
0-11 mg/kg bw
1982
Cyclamic acid
952 (i)
0-11 mg/kg bw
2009
Neotame
961
0-2 mg/kg bw
2003
Saccharin
954
0-5 mg/kg bw
1993
JECFA Evaluation of Intense Sweeteners
Intense Sweeteners
INS
ADI
Year
Saccharin, Calcium
954(ii)
0-5 mg/kg bw
1993
Saccharin, Potassium
954(iii)
0-5 mg/kg bw
1993
Saccharin, Sodium
954(iv)
0-5 mg/kg bw
1993
Sucralose
955
0-15 mg/kg bw
1990
0-4 mg/kg bw
2001
Not specified
1985
Steviol glycoside
Thaumatin
957
Labeling of Sweeteners on Prepackaged Foods
Codex General Standard For the Labelling of Prepackaged
Foods(CODEX STAN 1-1985 (Rev. 1-1991)
Sweeteners are regulated as food additive
Sweeteners are mandatorily labeled in the ‘List of Ingredients’
The class title [Sweetener] shall be used together with the specific
name or recognized numerical identification as required by national
legislation
Summary
Risk
Assessment
Specification
Uses in food
category and
maximum limits
Labeling on
prepackaged food
Protection of the health of consumers
Codex Alimentarius
Commission
International
benchmark
Fair practices in food trade
Thank you! Questions ?