The concentrations of preservatives (benzoic acid, dehydroacetic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters, propionic acid and sorbic acid) in foods sold in Japan were estimated using the results of the official inspection in F. Y. 1994 by 96 local governments covering most of Japan. The total number of inspection samples was 72, 609, including 4, 803 imported foods. The detection rates of benzoic acid, dehydroacetic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters, propionic acid and sorbic acid in foods in which they are permitted to be used were 25.7%, 5.0%, 28.6%, 10.3% and 53.9%, respectively. The average concentrations of preservatives in all samples in which they were permitted were 8.8%, 0.7%, 8.8%, 2.8% and 16.2% of the legal maximum levels of use, respectively. Detection rates and average concentrations in nonpermissible foods were 2.9% and 0.00220g/kg for benzoic acid, 0.021% and 0.0000963g/kg for dehydroacetic acid, 0.24% and 0.0000930g/kg for p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters as p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and 5.2% and 0.0186g/kg for sorbic acid. No propionic acid was detected in nonpermissible foods.
The estimated daily intakes of these preservatives were 11.0, 0.0769, 1.37, 3.88 and 32.9mg/person, respectively, when calculated from the average concentrations in foods obtained in the present study, utilizing the consumption of foods reported by the “Investigation Group of the Daily Intake of Food Additives in Japan in F. Y. 1994”. Foods that contributed most to the daily intake of preservatives were as follows: benzoic acid, 86.8% of the daily intake amount from nonalcoholic beverages; dehydroacetic acid, 55.7% from confectionery; p-hydroxybenzoic acid, 51.8% from soy sauce; propionic acid, 87.0% from bread; sorbic acid, 26.2% from fish paste products. The estimated daily intakes of these preservatives was less than 5% of the acceptable daily intake (ADI).