Interview with Richard Cantrill about taking part in JECFA

Richard Cantrill is a food safety and quality consultant with expertise in edible fats and oils and is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was formerly the Chief Scientific Officer and Technical Director of the American Oil Chemists’ Society. Dr Cantrill was vice-chairperson for the 89th and 90th sessions of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and chairperson for the 91st, which concluded on 25 February 2021, when the meeting report was adopted.

The meeting chaired by Cantrill evaluated cadmium and ergot alkaloids, and discussed the acceptability of certain substances as previous cargoes as well as the revision of specifications for steviol glycosides. We spoke with him a couple of weeks after it closed to hear his perspective.

• You have participated in a number of JECFA meetings – why, what motivates your participation? 

JECFA is a highly respected body of international experts with experience in many aspects of risk assessment and scientific excellence and rigour in many food related disciplines. It is an honour to be selected as a member of this prestigious roster and to be able to contribute to ongoing discussions on the safety of food additives and contaminants. Since experts are selected based on their expertise relevant to the additives or contaminants on the agenda, the assembly of members at a particular meeting represents the most global view on the safety of the substance in question. Being part of JECFA is a constant learning experience.

• What are for you the highlights of the last year of your work at JECFA?  

This last year turned out to be very special since international travel was curtailed by the COVID-19 virus and three meetings of JECFA were held virtually by conference call. This was a learning curve for all of us and the usual lengthy JECFA meeting agenda had to be reduced to fit with the limited number of hours available for participation from different time zones. Accommodating experts from New Zealand to California meant some uncomfortable hours on both ends. Although this arrangement precluded many of the normal informal interactions between participants, there was a good spirit of participation based on familiarity gained at previous physical meetings and new experts were welcomed and swiftly familiarized with the JECFA meeting process.

The agendas of JECFA 89, 90 and 91 covered a wide range of topics including specific guidance documents, enzymes, flavouring agents and certain food additives and contaminants such as tricothecene and ergot alkaloid toxins and the residues of some bulk chemicals carried by sea-going vessels prior to shipments of edible fats and oils. Among these items were new topics as well as updates and revisions to existing documents.

Rather than claim one or another is a highlight, I’d rather emphasize that the range of topics and the successful outcome of these meetings shows the breadth of experience and dedication of the experts invited and the depth of preparation involved.

• As our food systems evolve and the tools for food safety assessments improve, how do you see the work of JECFA contributing to the changing food safety landscape?

The work of JECFA is part of the FAO’s role in the provision of scientific advice for international food standards, notably for Codex Alimentarius, in a neutral and independent manner. Much of JECFA’s agenda is provided by the priority lists from the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF), the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) and from the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF), though items can come from other Codex committees and also from member countries and partner organizations.

As new topics are raised and discussed within its committees, the Codex Alimentarius Commission may request additional scientific advice and pass that item on to JECFA or a sister expert meeting. Although provision of scientific advice relies on the independent expertise of its members, there is sufficient flexibility to convene expert meetings on any relevant topic.

• At the recent 91st JECFA meeting, ergot alkaloids were discussed. What are they? Have they been evaluated by JECFA before?  

Ergot alkaloids have not been discussed by JECFA in the past and the review was requested by CCCF. Ergot alkaloids are a family of closely related molecules based on lysergic acid, some of which have a tripeptide sidechain. Ergot is a plant disease caused by Claviceps fungi. Ergot alkaloids are structurally related to biogenic amines and share some of their pharmacological activity such as vasoconstriction.

Certain members of the family have been used therapeutically in humans to treat migraines and certain vascular conditions, however, JECFA only evaluated the safety or certain ergot alkaloids with regard to their presence as a contaminant in food. The name refers to elongated fungal structures, also known as sclerotia, which replace kernels on the ears of grain or seeds on grasses. Cereals such as rye, wheat, sorghum and millet can be infected and so the toxins (ergot alkaloids) within the structure can contaminate food if not removed after harvest.

Based on the available data the committee decided to determine an acute reference dose (ARfD; 0.4 micrograms/kg body weight per day) based on available human data and taking into account potentially sensitive subgroups in the population, such as children.

The committee also noted that some exposure estimates were already higher than this value and recommended that further data could be supplied by regions from where no data were submitted for this evaluation.

• Have steviol glycosides not been on the agenda of other JECFA meetings in the recent past? Why were they discussed again, and, by the way, what are they anyway?

Steviol glycosides have been considered by JECFA on a number of occasions and an ADI, or acceptable daily intake, is already established. This time they were back on the agenda for the revision of methods of analysis arising from recommendations made by the committee at an earlier meeting.

Steviol glycosides are a family of more than 40 compounds found in the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant and they taste 100 to 300 times sweeter than sucrose. All have the same steviol aglycone backbone bound to different types and numbers of units of glucose, rhamnose, xylose, fructose or deoxyglucose. More than 40 steviol glycosides have been identified so far. They are used in food as a sweetener.

The JECFA specifications monograph consists of a general section including a method of analysis and a large table of details of each of the family members and specific annexes dealing with different methods of production of the substances and possible structural modifications. On this occasion the committee discussed methods adopted revisions to the method of analysis, a further method for the determination of poly-glycosylated molecules and revisions to the chemical characteristics of the family of molecules. In this way the committee keeps the specifications in line with current production processes and trends in the development of high-intensity sweeteners.

The summary and conclusions of the 91st JECFA meeting is now published and can be found here

Read more about JECFA and the Scientific Advice Programme at FAO

Read more about JECFA on the WHO webpage