title: Usage pattern and exposure assessment of food colours in different age groups of consumers in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India.
abstract: The present study aims to investigate the nature and levels of colours in food items and to undertake risk assessment vis-a-vis intake among different age groups of consumers in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India. A total of 478 edible foodstuffs were analysed, and of six permitted colours, Sunset Yellow FCF (SSYFCF) and Tartrazine were most popular, and two non-permitted colours, namely Metanil Yellow and Rhodamine B, were encountered. The study showed a marked improvement in the trend of use of non-permitted colours over previous surveys, with 90% foods now resorting to approved food colours. However, 59% of foods employing permitted colours exceeded the maximum allowable limit, with average quantities crossing the threshold of 100 mg kg(-1) in most food commodities. The intake of SSYFCF exceeded the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for children and adolescents by 88% and 39%, respectively, and was statistically significant when analysed by error bars and distribution curves. In adults, SSYFCF saturated 59% of the ADI. For Carmoisine, Tartrazine and Ponceau 4R, saturation of ADI ranged from 27.4% to 90.3% in children and adolescents and from 10.8% to 47.6% in adult subjects. These results indicate that children and adolescents are more vulnerable to higher intakes of food colours compared with the adult population. Allowing a uniform level of all colours in foods under Indian rules, notwithstanding wide variations of 250-fold in their allocated ADIs, could be one reason for the higher intake and hence only technological need-based levels of individual colours are desired to be prescribed.
authors.affiliation: Food Toxicology Division, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, PO Box 80, Lucknow-226001, U.P., India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dixit
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Purshottam
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Khanna
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D005505:Food Coloring Agents; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008297:Male; D011786:Quality Control
chemical_list: D005505:Food Coloring Agents