This report represents the conclusions of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee convened to evaluate the safety of various food additives, with a view to recommending acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) and to prepare specifications for the identity and purity of food additives. The first part of the report contains a general discussion of the principles governing the toxicological evaluation of food additives and contaminants (including flavouring agents), and the establishment and revision of specifications. A summary follows of the Committee's evaluations of toxicological data on various specific food additives (alitame, cross-linked sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, mineral oils (low- and medium-viscosity), nitrate, nitrite, and salatrim and six groups of flavouring agents). Annexed to the report are tables summarizing the Committee's recommendations for ADIs of the food additives and recommendations on the flavouring agents considered, changes in the status of specifications, further information required or desired, and a summary of conclusions on flavouring agents with minimum assay values of 95% or less.