JECFA Affirms Lycopene Safety; Broadens Market for Tomato Lycopene

The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) recently affirmed that lycopene from tomato extract is safe for use as a food additive. The announcement bodes well for ingredient manufacturer LycoRed whose Lyc-O-Mato and Tomat-O-Red tomato lycopene ingredients fall within the parameters of the JECFA monograph.

JECFA, administered jointly by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, performs risk assessments on chemicals in food and provides advice to member countries of both organizations, as well as to the Codex Alimentarius Commission. All countries need to have access to both reliable risk assessments and to independent expert advice. JECFA performs this vital role for countries lacking the expertise and funds to do so on their own. These countries rely upon JECFA determinations in guiding the development of their own national food safety programs. The excellent safety profile of lycopene from tomato extract  paved the way for JECFA to set no specific limitations on the ADI of this all natural tomato lycopene ingredient, now designated INS 160d(ii).