The amount of a food additive that could be taken daily for an entire life-span without appreciable risk. Determined by measuring the highest dose of the substance that has no effect on experimental animals, then dividing by a safety factor of 100. Substances that are not given an ADI are regarded as having no adverse effect at any level of intake. See also No effect level.
The amount of a drug or chemical residue to which an animal can be exposed daily for a lifetime without suffering a deleterious or injurious effect, on the basis of all of the facts known at the time.
Acceptable daily intake or ADI is a measure of the amount of a specific substance (originally applied for a food additive, later also for a residue of a veterinary drug or pesticide) in food or drinking water that can be ingested (orally) on a daily basis over a lifetime without an appreciable health risk.[1] ADIs are expressed usually in milligrams (of the substance) per kilograms of body weight per day.[2][3]
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This concept was first introduced in 1961 by the Council of Europe and later the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), a committee maintained by two United Nations bodies: the Food and Agriculture Organization FAO and the WHO World Health Organization.[2]
An ADI value is based on current research, with long-term studies on animals and observations of humans. First, a No Observable (Adverse) Effect Level,[3][4] the amount of a substance that shows no toxic effects, is determined. Usually the studies are performed with several doses including high doses. In the case of several studies on different effects, the lowest NO(A)EL is usually taken. Then, the NOEL (or NOAEL) is divided by a safety factor, conventionally 100, to account for the differences between test animals and humans (factor of 10) and possible differences in sensitivity between humans (another factor of 10).[3] The ADI is usually given in mg per kg body weight per day.[5]
The ADI is considered a safe intake level for a healthy adult of normal weight who consumes an average daily amount of the substance in question. Increased safety factors for infants have been discussed, but are not needed, because elimination of chemicals is in fact often more rapid in children.[6] The ADI does not take into account allergic reactions that are individual responses rather than dose-dependent phenomena.
The higher the ADI, the larger amounts of a compound are safe for regular ingestion. The concept of tolerable daily intake is often used for unwanted contaminants or other chemicals.
The ADI concept can be understood as a measure to indicate the toxicity from long-term exposure to repeated ingestion of chemical compounds in foods (present and/or added), as opposed to acute toxicity.
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