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Additives and preservatives are essential for food the storage of food. With the increase of the use of processed food, there is an increasing use of food additives and preservatives. As some of these additives were found to have adverse health effect, there was a need to approval of these food additives and preservatives after the details study of the effect of them on human being. Some of the food additives were found to cause allergies, hyperactivity, asthma, and reactions like rashes, vomiting, and headache. They can be the cause of different health hazards like the following:

 a. Artificial food colors are found to be carcinogenic agent. They can cause hyperactivity and allergies.

 b. Nitrites and nitrates can develop carcinogen nitrosamine.

 c. Sulfites can cause asthmatic reaction.

 d. Sweeteners can cause obesity, dental cavity, diabetes, and increase blood fat. Artificial sweetener can cause hyperactivity and some of them are found carcinogen. Government cautions children and pregnant women against the use of it.

 e. Artificial flavor and monosodium glutamate can cause allergic reactions.

 f. BHT can be toxic to nervous system.

 g. Salt can increase the blood pressure [23].

Table 2.7 shows some specific additives and their health effect.

Table 2.7 List of additives and preservatives that can affect human health [24].

Additive	Role of the additive	Food material where it is added	Possible health hazard
Erythrosin	Food color	Canned food, confectionary, and dairy products	Possible risk of thyroid tumor in animal study
Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6	Food color	Different candy and confectionary product	Allergic reaction to some people.
Tartrazine	Food color	Ice cream, carbonated drinks	Skin rashes, asthma, and headache
Carmosine	Food color	Dairy products	Cause tumor to animals and DNA damage
Amaranth	Food color	Alcoholic beverages	Can cause asthma and allergies
Indigo Carmine	Food color	Bakery, confectionery, and dairy products	Can cause skin rashes, DNA damage and tumor to animals
Brilliant Blue	Food color	Dairy products and sweets	Can cause skin rashes, DNA damage and tumor to animals
Sodium benzoate	Preservative	Carbonated beverages, sauce, pickles	Can cause asthma and probable carcinogen
Sulfur dioxide	Preservative	Dried food juice	Nausea, diarrhoea, DNA damage to animals
Sodium metabisulfite	Antioxidant	Processed food	Can cause asthma
Potassium nitrate	Curing agent	Cured meat and meat products	Can form nitrosamine that is carcinogenic agent
BHA/BHT	Antioxidant	Fats/oils	Considered as carcinogenic agent
Monosodium glutamate	Flavor enhancer	Processed food	Can cause cancer, DNA damage
Aspartame	Sweetener	Processed food	Can cause neurological damage
Acesulfame K	Sweetener	Processed food	Can cause cancer to animals
Saccharine	Sweetener	Processed food	Can interfere DNA coagulation process
Bromate	Preservative	Processed food	Destroy nutrients in food
Caffeine	Flavorant	Processed food	Can cause heart defects
Chelating agent	Sequestering agent	Processed food	They affect mineral balance in our body
Auramine	Food color	Used in beverages	Retard growth and damage kidney, liver
Metanil yellow	Food color	Used in sweets	Responsible for weakness and food poisoning
Lead chromate	Food color	Added to turmeric for bright color	Anemia, abdominal pain

Exposure to hazardous chemicals through food can create adverse health effects that depends on various factors like the following

 a. Type of chemical

 b. Dose of chemical

 c. Duration of exposure

 d. Frequency of exposure [25]

The safety of food additives is generally evaluated by international organization as well as local government. The goals for the assessment of the intake of food additive are as follows:

 a. Monitoring the actual intake of food additives with respect to its acceptable daily intake (ADI).

 b. Identify the consumer group who are at risk for the intake of additives close or more than the ADI value.

 c. To offer information to the international organization for the reassessment of the regulations of food additives in case of high intake.

The safety assessment of the additives is based on the toxicity of the additives. On the basis of these toxicological data, food additives are classified as follows:

 Group A: Additives having established ADI value

 Group B: Additives generally considered as safe.

 Group C: Additives with insufficient data.

 Group D: Flavoring components.

 Group E: Natural components with very few or no scientific safety data.

ADI value is determined by JECFA. ADI value is expressed on the basis of body weight, and it is the amount of food additive consumed over a lifetime without considerable health hazard. Only the food additives having JECFA safety assessment and having no appreciable health risk to consumers can be used. These additives might be natural or synthetic. Either on the basis of JECFA assessment or assessment of national authority authorized the use of particular additives at specified level for specific food. JECFA evaluation is based on review of biochemical, toxicological, and other relevant data that includes mandatory animal study and observation on human being. The toxicological test includes acute, short-term and longterm studies. The test determines how the additives are absorbed, distributed, and excreted. It also determines the harmful effect of the additives and its by-products. The Codex Alimentarius Commission establishes the guidelines on food labelling. The standards are implemented in most countries. Food manufacturers are obliged to indicate the additives used in their products. In European Union, there is legislation for labelling of food additives as per E numbers. People sensitive to certain food additives can check labels.