Intake estimate of additives by school-age children through the consumption of foods and beverages

• Grant number: 19/11574-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2019
• End date: September 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Adriana Pavesi Arisseto Bragotto
• Grantee: Ana Beatriz Costa Losi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The exposure of children to food additives has been considered a major concern for some decades, since studies demonstrated a correlation between intake of artificial colors and behavioral changes, including hyperactivity. The excessive consumption of foods with additives by school age children, mainly industrialized, leads to the need to estimate human exposure to these substances in order to avoid their possible undesirable effects. By using Dietary Record, it is expected to obtain consumption data of school age children between 6 and 11 years to be used in an intake evaluation of additives. In this way, substances for which intake may exceed their Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) value may be identified, suggesting risks to consumer health. In addition, the main additives used in foods consumed by children will be identified, stimulating risk management actions regarding the inappropriate use of these substances, based on the information declared on the labels of the evaluated products. Likewise, it is intended to support regulatory agencies, such as ANVISA, in the safety reassessment process of the use of additives, clearly stimulating more refined studies for substances that may indicate some level of risk.