[Regulatory aspects in the use of natural colorants]

A number of preparations of natural colours from vegetable, insect and algae sources are presently used in various foods, although many of them have not been evaluated in relation to their safety of use. In evaluating the toxicity of food additives the concept of the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) has been used to provide an indication of safety for use and to enable regulatory authorities to take adequate legislative measures for their control. This paper will focus on the principles for the safety assessment of food additives, with emphasis on the guidelines that have been established by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (JECFA) for evaluating natural food colours. Recent data on the potential intake of annato extracts in Brazil and current aspects of regulation of food colours at the level of MERCOSUR will also be presented.