In all countries of the world the safety of chemically synthesized additives is monitored by relevant legislation, which at present is based on the standards issued by the World Health Organization in 1958. The WHO defines the quantity of food additives which can be safely ingested on a daily basis as the amount which has no effect according to the results of the "chronic toxicity test," divided by 100 to 250.
目前世界各國的相關法令，都以世界衛生組織（WHO）的法規為準（1958 年發表），其中對於各添加物每天攝取的安全容許量，是以「慢性毒性試驗」結果的無作用量，除以 100 到 250 得之。