Individual and Combined Effect of Commonly Some Consumed Food Additives

Abstract

Different types of food additives such as preservatives and coloring agents are widely used in food processing and have different technological functions. This investigation aimed to study the cytotoxicity effect of some food additives which are commonly used. Most of the studies investigated the individual effect of food preservatives and coloring agents although its combinedly consumed. The study followed, the cytotoxicity effect of analyzed food additives performed by MTT test using normal lung cells (wi-38 cells). The chosen additives were potassium benzoate (E 212) which is existed in candy products as a preservative, in addition to sodium nitrite (E 251) that are used in cured meat products for inhibiting Clostridium botulinum growth and maintaining the bright red color of the cured meat were considered. Allura red (E 129) which existed in food additive legislation, and was also studied. The examined additives had significant cytotoxicity effect on normal lung cells (P<0.05) and its viability were also affected by preservatives when individually used or together with others owing to combination of studied items was higher than the individual one.