Languages:
Estimate of the amount of a substance in food and/or drinking water, expressed on a body weight basis that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk to the consumer on the basis of all the known facts at the time of the evaluation.
It is usually expressed in milligrams of the chemical per kilogram of body weight. ADIs are used for substances that have a reason to be found in food (as opposed to a contaminant - see TDI) and as such, include additives, pesticide residues and veterinary drugs in foods. (Source: FAO WHO (1997) )
An amino acid molecule has the general formula NH2CHRCOOH, where "R" is any one of a number of side groups. Amino acids are building blocks (small molecules that link together to form long chains) of proteins.
There are 20 amino acids found in proteins, called primary amino acids. Non-essential amino acids are those made by the human body, while essential amino acids are only obtained from protein in the foods that we eat. (Source: GreenFacts)
A non-essential amino acid in protein. The body produces aspartic acid to form part of a liver enzyme that builds and breaks down proteins and amino acids, and detoxifies nitrogen in urea. Aspartic acid is a neurotransmitter. (Source: GreenFacts)
Clear, watery fluid of the blood that separates when blood clots. (Source: GreenFacts)
Unit of measurement for energy.
One calorie is formally defined as the amount of energy required to raise one cubic centimeter of water by one degree Centigrade. For purpose of measuring the amount of energy in food, nutritionists most commonly use kilocalories (equal to 1000 calories), and label the measurement either as "kcal" or as "Calories" with a capital "C".
One kcal is also equivalent to approximately 4.184 kilojoules.
(Source:
Nutrition Data
Nutrition Glossary
Any one of a group of diseases that occur when cells in the body become abnormal and have the potential to spread and establish growth in nearby tissues and other parts of the body (malignancy). (Source: GreenFacts )
A substance, factor or situation that causes or induces cancer. (Source: GreenFacts )
Occurring over a long period of time, either continuously or intermittently;
used to describe ongoing exposures and
effects that develop only after a long exposure.
(Source:
US EPA
Thesaurus
The digestive tract is the system of organs which takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients and expels remaining waste. It includes the mouth, salivary glands, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, large intestine, and rectum.
After food is chewed and swallowed, the digestive juices released by the pancreas and stomach break it down into substances that are readily absorbed through the small intestine. Material that is not taken up by the body collects in the large intestine, forming faecal matter that is then excreted through the anus. (Source: GreenFacts)
Studies on human populations, which attempt to link human health effects (e.g. cancer) to a cause (e.g. exposure to a specific chemical). (Source: GreenFacts)
"Following a series of food scares in the 1990s (eg BSE, dioxins…) which undermined consumer confidence in the safety of the food chain, the European Union concluded that it needed to establish a new scientific body charged with providing independent and objective advice on food safety issues associated with the food chain. Its primary objective as set out in the White Paper on Food Safety would be to: “…contribute to a high level of consumer health protection in the area of food safety, through which consumer confidence can be restored and maintained.” The result was the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Set up provisionally in Brussels in 2002, EFSA provides independent scientific advice on all matters linked to food and feed safety - including animal health and welfare and plant protection - and provides scientific advice on nutrition in relation to Community legislation. The Authority communicates to the public in an open and transparent way on all matters within its remit. EFSA’s risk assessments provide risk managers (consisting of EU institutions with political accountability, i.e. European Commission, European Parliament and Council) with a sound scientific basis for defining policy driven legislative or regulatory measures required to ensure a high level of consumer protection with regards to food safety."
(Source: EFSA website
A colorless, pungent, and irritating volatile organic compound (VOC), with formula H2CO, used in manufacturing and chemical industries, and as a preservative by anatomists, embalmers, and pathologists. Potential sources in the home include pressed wood products such as particleboard or fiberboard, smoking, glues and adhesives, etc.
Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen. (Source: GreenFacts)
The functional and physical unit of heredity passed from parent to offspring.
Genes are pieces of DNA, and most genes contain the information for making a
specific protein.
(Source:
NHGRI
Talking Glossary of Genetic
Terms
Toxic (damaging) to DNA. Substances that are genotoxic may bind directly to DNA or act indirectly leading to DNA damage by affecting enzymes involved in DNA replication, thereby causing mutations which may or may not lead to cancer or birth defects (inheritable damage). Genotoxic substances are not necessarily carcinogenic. (Source: GreenFacts)
The conversion or breakdown of a substance from one form to another by an
enzyme.
(Source: GreenFacts, based on ATSDR
Glossary of
Terms
A substance that is the product of biological changes to a chemical.
(Source:
US EPA
Glossary
CH3OH. Methanol is the simplest alcohol and is toxic. At high concentrations, methanol can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and death. Acute exposure may cause blindness. Chronic exposure to methanol can cause liver damage. (Source: GreenFacts )
Chemical responsible for the transfer of information along the nervous system. (Source: IPCS )
Found in proteins, phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that we absorb from the protein we eat. Humans require phenylalanine for protein metabolism and children also require it for growth. Phenylalanine is converted into tyrosine in the body. Tyrosine is involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters. (Source: GreenFacts)
A hereditary genetic disease involving liver enzyme deficiency. (Source: GreenFacts)
A large molecule composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific order, formed according to genetic information.
Able to poison or harm an organism. Toxic substances can cause adverse health effects. (Source: GreenFacts)
The capacity or property of a substance to cause adverse effects. (Source: GreenFacts)
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