Use and Overuse of Food Additives in Edible Products: Health Consequences for Consumers.

The aim of this chapter was to address the issue of uses and overuses of additives with consequent impacts on human health. Modern food additives have an important role in food production. At present, the number of individuals engaged in food primary production is dramatically decreasing; on the other hand, consumers seems to search for many food choices, including ready-to-eat foods, with annexed higher safety and hygiene standards (and food additives may be a concern). The most part of consumers have still confidence in the work of official commissions in defense of food safety; on the other hand, some people may find deem discrepancies between their own sense of security and the complex of laws or practices in defense of the human health. Main worries concern the enormous economic power of certain multinational groups in the field of food production; the absolute discretion of Committees to judge eligible or not eligible available researches on certain food additives; the choice of research methods and the lack of studies concerning synergist effects of different food additives.