I often wonder exactly what the ingredients on food packets and
cosmetics are.

Is there a web page out there that has a searchable database of
ingredients? Something like there used to be (or still is?) a book
called 'E for additives'.

I'd like Information about each of the ingredients. Possible
risks/harm. Background information. I come from a scientifically
literate background so I don't want something too low level. I'd also
like information that is reliable / based on somesort of research /
papers / not rumours, or at least states what is just rumour.

Any ideas?

Dear Jose,

Thanks for the question.  I believe I have found a database that suits
your purpose.  You mentioned that you are scientifically literate and
want the information substantiated and based on research, and this
seems to fulfill both requests.

There is an organization called the "Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on
Food Additives (JECFA)".  JECFA is "an international expert scientific
committee that is administered jointly by the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health
Organization (WHO). It has been meeting since 1956, initially to
evaluate the safety of food additives. Its work now also includes the
evaluation of contaminants, naturally occurring toxicants and residues
of veterinary drugs in food."
http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/ECONOMIC/esn/jecfa/index_en.stm

They have a searchable database of their work.  You can access it from
this site:

Summary of Evaluations Performed by the JECFA
http://jecfa.ilsi.org/search.cfm

By clicking on the "Primary Index" link, you can get a list of
additives.  After clicking on one, for instance, Acetone, you can see
that the ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) is "Acceptable", and that there
is "No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a
flavouring agent".

An attached HTML document describes the database in extensive detail:
http://jecfa.ilsi.org/index.htm

I would direct you specifically to section 5, where it defines the
terms used (such as ADI):
http://jecfa.ilsi.org/section1.htm#5

-------------

There is another related site that is more scientifically based.  Also
run by JECFA, it describes the chemical compounds with food additives
and flavouring agents.

Food Additives (uses other than as flavouring agents) Database -
http://apps3.fao.org/jecfa/additive_specs/foodad-q.jsp

Flavouring Agents Database -
http://apps3.fao.org/jecfa/flav_agents/flavag-q.jsp

GUIDE TO SPECIFICATIONS
http://apps3.fao.org/jecfa/additive_specs/docs/t0368e/t0368e00.htm

------------------------

Another interesting site, that doesn't deal specifically with
additives, but more on nutrition, is this site from the Univeristy of
Illinois:

Nutrition Analysis Tool
http://www.nat.uiuc.edu/

------------------------

I hope you find this information useful.  If after looking at this
information you decide you would prefer less scientific and more
anecdotal information, please let me know before you rate and close
the question, and I will try and find that for you.

Best regards,
Torq

-------------------------

Search Strategy:

Searched World Health Organization sites for "additives" & "nutrition"

---

Clarification of Answer by torq-ga on 05 Mar 2003 08:06 PST

Jose, 

Three more sites that might prove useful:

Summary of Color Additives Listed for Use in the United States in
Foods, Drugs, Cosmetics, and Medical Devices
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/opa-col2.html

And here's another site, less official, but it might be of interest:
http://www.feingold.org/home.html

And finally, an Australian site, that lists most food additives:
http://www.x-sitez.com/allergy/additives/index.html

---

Request for Answer Clarification by jose-ga on 06 Mar 2003 14:18 PST

Thanks for your rapid reply.

I am interested in why ingredients are used: I have been wondering for
a while why, for example, Sorbitol (food, toothpaste) and Sodium
Lauryl Sulfate (shampoo) appear so often on list of ingredients, and
what they are.

I was also hoping for info on ingredients that I have somewhere heard
of be in some way 'bad', but not sure of the reliablity of what I have
heard e.g. Tartrazine.

Perhaps what I was hoping for doesn't exist. Maybe the best bet would
be combining the first site you suggested (ilsi.org) with a Google
search on an ingredient. Time consuming though.

Is there a site similar to the first one you found (ilsi.org) for
cosmetic ingredients?

Am I asking too much for 10$?



Of the sites you found, really only the first one was one I would go
back to. (http://jecfa.ilsi.org/search.cfm).
It is an efficient, easy to use site, with reliable data.

Sorbitol: SWEETENING AGENT; HUMECTANT; SEQUESTRANT; TEXTURIZER;
STABILIZER; BULKING AGENT
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: not found (the site is only for food
ingredients)
Tartrazine: COLOUR

Unfortunately terms like HUMECTANT; SEQUESTRANT do not mean much to
me. Looking them up and finding out about them wouldn't be difficult
though, if I get round to it, and would be interesting.

Some more background/anecdotal info would be nice though. For example,
is what I've read somewhere about Tartrazine being 'bad' of any
substance?


Reamrks on the other sites you found:

http://apps3.fao.org/jecfa/additive_specs/foodad-q.jsp 
This page is a bit of a pain to use.
Interesting, but not much more info of what I am really looking for
than the previous site.

http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/opa-col2.html
Not much use since only limited to colourings, which don't
particularily interest me.

http://www.feingold.org/home.html 
Rather messy site, difficult to find info. Reliability?
Only on food additives, not cosmetics.

http://www.x-sitez.com/allergy/additives/index.html
No search engine. Used Google 'search site' instead.
Seems to only/mostly have information for avoiding alergies, which
doesn't particularily interest me.
Does give some info about Tartrazine though.
How reliable is this site? Not obvious.

---

Clarification of Answer by torq-ga on 06 Mar 2003 17:00 PST

Hi Jose,

Okay, give me until later tomorrow to see what else I can come up
with.  I have some ideas on where to look, I just will not have a
chance to do so until tomorrow.

And also, let me thank you for your clarification.  It was a thorough
and fair evaluation, and allowed me to clearly understand what else
you would like answered.  (I suppose I'm thanking you for that because
it is rare that a clarification is so clear!).

I'll be in touch,
Torq

---

Clarification of Answer by torq-ga on 07 Mar 2003 08:16 PST

Hi Jose,

I found a number of very interesting sites for you:

----------------------------------------

CDRH (Center for Devices and Radiological Health) Super Search:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/search/search.cfm

I have no idea why the CDRH is responsible for this database search,
but it looks through numerous FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
archives, and comes up with labelling provisions, and related laws. 
While this is obviously not anecdotal, it might prove interesting. 
For instance, for Tartrazine you learn that the following warning must
be on prescription drugs containing this substance:

“This product contains FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) which may cause
allergic-type reactions (including bronchial asthma) in certain
susceptible persons. Although the overall incidence of FD&C Yellow No.
5 (tartrazine) sensitivity in the general population is low, it is
frequently seen in patients who also have aspirin hypersensitivity.''”

A search for Sorbitol finds this document (among others):
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/search/search.cfm?db=CFR&ID=184.1835

It describes Sorbitol as “the chemical 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexanehexol 
(C6H14O6), a hexahydric alcohol, differing from mannitol principally
by having a different optical rotation. Sorbitol is produced by the
electrolytic reduction, or the transition metal catalytic
hydrogenation of sugar solutions containing glucose or fructose.”

It goes on to list what it is used for (anti-caking, emulsifier,
thickener, etc. etc).  It also says it is “generally recognized as
safe” (a term often abbreviated as GRAS).

----------------------------------------

I thought I was on to a huge lead when I found this:

“FDA cosmetic scientists can explain the nature of an ingredient when
it is identified by its chemical name. But when an ingredient is
listed by its trade name, FDA usually must consult the manufacturer's
trade literature or the International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary,
published by the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association, Inc.,
(CTFA) the industry's major trade association. The dictionary, now in
its fourth edition, provides a uniform system for assigning ingredient
names. FDA currently recognizes the second edition as a primary
reference.”
Source: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/reprints/puffery.html

While the CTFA has potentially exactly what you want, it is
unfortunately for members only.  To have access to their on-line
database, you have to pay for a membership:
http://www.ctfa-international.org/

However, you can access their special news alerts:

http://www.ctfa-online.org/pls/ctfa/ctfa_online.home

A related organization, the “Cosmetic Ingredient Review”, reviews and
assesses the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics.  You can buy
their publications, however it isn’t cheap:
http://www.cir-safety.org/publications.shtml

They offer a compendium of detailed safety reviews for $350.  If that
is out of your price range, you might want to take a look at their
publications list:
http://www.cir-safety.org/staff_files/publist.pdf

Many reviews are available in the “Journal of American College
Toxicology” (JACT), the “Journal of Environmental Pathology and
Toxicology” (JEPT), and the “International Journal of Toxicology”
(IJT).

The reference for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is: JACT 2(7) 1983

Still, there is an interesting alert you can read on Lauryl Sulfate,
where they conclude that it is safe as presently used in cosmetics.

http://www.cir-safety.org/staff_files/alerts.pdf

----------------------------------------

There is an interesting entry in an “Urban Legends Page” on Lauryl
Sulfate:

http://www.ilpi.com/msds/index.html

The most useful fact from this page is to learn about “Material Safety
Data Sheets”.  An MDS contains “written or printed material concerning
a hazardous chemical as prescribed by law, including information
needed to insure the safety and health of the user at all stages of
[the chemical's] manufacture, storage, use, and disposal." Source:
http://www.ilpi.com/msds/index.html

To find MSDS reports online, go to this page:

http://www.ilpi.com/msds/index.html

This may prove to be the most useful tool for you.

----------------------------------------

Other FDA Links:

FDA Cosmetic Products and Ingredients
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-prd.html

FDA Color Additives
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/col-toc.html

These are simply pages with links, but an interesting assortment, some
of which might be interesting for you, including this one:

Summary of Color Additives Listed for Use in the United States in
Foods, Drugs, Cosmetics, and Medical Devices
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-210.html

----------------------------------------

International Fragrance Association – Codes & Standards
http://www.ifraorg.org/GuideLines.asp

This is a clunky and rather hard to use system, but you can filter to
find what substances are approved and banned from fragrances.

----------------------------------------

Food Additives Guide
http://www.foodag.com/en/home.htm

This site is purely food additives, so perhaps not as useful to you. 
It is actually similar to that Australian site (the very last site I
gave you), but I feel that it is better organized.  It may be worth a
look.

----------------------------------------

"Inactive" Ingredients in Pharmaceutical Products: Update (Subject
Review)
Journal Article from American Academy of Pediatrics, January 1997
http://www.aap.org/policy/re9706.html

----------------------------------------

National Toxicology Program
http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/cgi/iH_Indexes/ALL_SRCH/iH_ALL_SRCH_Frames.html

HIGHLY scientific search ability on most chemicals.  May be way too
technical for any use, but I'll let you decide.

----------------------------------------

Website on Tartrazine
http://www.practicalhippie.com/tartrazine.htm

To say that I don’t know the reliability of this site is an
understatement, but it has a good collection of links at the bottom.

----------------------------------------

Tom’s of Maine, a health food store in the North East United States,
has a quick one-page fact sheet on Sorbitol as well as Lauryl Sulfate:

http://www.tomsofmaine.com/toms/ifs/sls.asp
http://www.tomsofmaine.com/toms/ifs/sorbitol.asp

----------------------------------------

I hope this is helpful.  I feel that I have probably given you enough
to conduct a further search on your own, or if you would like to post
another question on specific ingredients, I would be happy to conduct
specific searches.

Please let me know if this is helpful.

Best regards,
Torq

Researcher went to a lot of effort, but did'nt find quite what I was
looking for. Maybe it doesn't exist.