BHT and propylene glycol intake from Japanese food inspections
What it found
In Japan in 1998, official inspections of 34,489 food samples found that daily intakes of BHT and propylene glycol were 0.109 mg and 77.5 mg per person.
These were 0.7% and 6.2% of the acceptable daily intake for a 50 kg person.
What they found
BHT daily intake
The estimated daily intake of BHT was 0.109 mg per person. This was 0.7% of the acceptable daily intake when body weight was assumed to be 50 kg.
Propylene glycol daily intake
The estimated daily intake of propylene glycol was 77.5 mg per person. This was 6.2% of the acceptable daily intake for a 50 kg person.
BHT in foods
BHT was detected in 27 of 2,073 samples (1.3%). It was found in fats and oils, dried marine products, and chewing gum, with mean concentrations of 0.0020, 0.0006, and 0.0525 g/kg respectively.
Propylene glycol in foods
Propylene glycol was detected in 802 of 2,466 samples (32.5%). The highest detection rate was in raw noodles (38.6%), and the mean concentration in tested samples was 18.5% of the limit.
Comparison with earlier years
Daily intakes of BHT and propylene glycol in 1998 were similar to those found in fiscal years 1994 and 1996. No remarkable differences were observed.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that the yearly trend of daily intake of these seven food additives is stable.
- They state that intake amounts have been maintained below 10% of the ADIs in most cases.
- They note that the results are more likely to be overestimated than underestimated.
How it was done
The authors wanted to estimate how much of these food additives people in Japan take in each day, based on official inspection results, and to compare with earlier years.
They collected inspection results from 106 local governments in Japan for fiscal year 1998, covering 34,489 food samples. They used these concentrations and a national food consumption list to estimate daily intake per person for seven additives, including BHT and propylene glycol.
What it can’t tell you
- This study estimates intake from food inspection data and food consumption lists. It cannot show what health effects, if any, these intake levels have.
- The estimates rely on assumptions about food consumption and detection limits, so they may not reflect actual intake for any one person.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- National Institute of Health Sciences, Japan
The paper
- Title
- Estimation of inorganic food additive (nitrite, nitrate and sulfur dioxide), antioxidant (BHA and BHT), processing agent (propylene glycol) and sweetener (sodium saccharin) concentrations in foods and their daily intake based on official inspection results in Japan in fiscal year 1998
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Ishiwata H, Nishijima M, Fukasawa Y (2003). Estimation of inorganic food additive (nitrite, nitrate and sulfur dioxide), antioxidant (BHA and BHT), processing agent (propylene glycol) and sweetener (sodium saccharin) concentrations in foods and their daily intake based on official inspection results in Japan in fiscal year 1998. Shokuhin eiseigaku zasshi. Journal of the Food Hygienic Society of Japan. doi:10.3358/shokueishi.44.132Free full textPubMed 12846162DOI
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