Refined exposure assessment for curcumin (E 100)

Following a self-tasking request, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) carried out a refined exposure assessment for curcumin (E 100) taking into account additional information on its use in foods. In 2010, the EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) adopted a scientific opinion on the re-evaluation of curcumin (E 100) used as a food additive. In that opinion, the Panel concluded that at the maximum levels of use, intake estimates for 1 to 10-year old children at the mean and the high level can be above the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 3 mg/kg body weight per day in some European countries. Following this conclusion, EFSA performed a refined exposure assessment for this food colour, using new usage data from industry, as well as monitoring data from Member States submitted to EFSA and the EFSA Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database. Usage data from industry were provided to EFSA for 52 out of the 57 food categories in which curcumin is authorised as a food additive. Analytical results provided to EFSA from Member States were all below the limit of detection (LOD) except for four samples of the food category edible ices. Using the reported use levels, exposure estimates for adolescents, adults and the elderly were below the ADI both at the mean and at the high level (95th percentile) of exposure. This was also true for the mean exposure estimates for toddlers and children. High level estimates were at the level of the ADI in these two population groups, with exceedance of the ADI in one survey each. In comparison to the previous assessment of 2010, the current exposure estimates based on reported use levels and consumption data at individual level were lower.