抄録
Results from questionnaires on food safety all show that the majority of the respondents are anxious about food additives. One of the main reasons from this consumer anxiety is that some people feel threatened by posting of groundless comments about food additives on the internet and in magazines. In addition, some books have been written based on unfounded claims about food additives being harmful and this also leads to consumer anxiety. Since consumer intake of food additives occurs automatically to a large degree, strict regulations on their effectiveness and safety have been developed. Consequently, use of food additives is permitted only after they are confirmed as safe. In this paper I introduce some examples of threats to consumers based on groundless information. Guidelines to file a food additive petition and the role of Food Additive Designation Consultation Center are also presented.
