• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.82-91
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• 2006

Standard and lead limit test in general test method of Korea, Japan, Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee of Food Additives (JECFA), USA, and EU on synthetic and natural food additives were compared. There were found that the general test methods in 'Korea Food Additives Code' were different from standards of various institutes on lead limit test. For the lead limit test of food additives, Korea used dithizone method, Japan used atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and USA used dithizone method, flame atomic absorption spectrophotometric method, atomic absorption spectrophotometric graphite furnace method, and APDC extraction method. In addition, JECFA and EU used dithizone method and atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. The dithizone methods of Korea, USA, and JECFA were nearly identical. In the case of USA, JECFA, and EU, the analytical methods for lead limit test were shown in individual monograph. Lead limit test against 13 synthetic, such as magnesium stearate and L-cystine, and 12 natural, such as gua gum and diatomaceous earth, food additives distributed in Korea were performed by the analytical method of each institute. Although all institutes use various methods for analysis of lead, contents of lead in food additives tested fell into the standard of each institute.