Toxicological evaluation of some food
    additives including anticaking agents,
    antimicrobials, antioxidants, emulsifiers
    and thickening agents



    WHO FOOD ADDITIVES SERIES NO. 5







    The evaluations contained in this publication
    were prepared by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert
    Committee on Food Additives which met in Geneva,
    25 June - 4 July 19731

    World Health Organization
    Geneva
    1974

              

    1    Seventeenth Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on
    Food Additives, Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1974, No. 539;
    FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1974, No. 53.

    CALCIUM ACETATE, CHLORIDE, GLUCONATE AND SULFATE

    Explanation

         These compounds have been evaluated for acceptable daily intake
    by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (see Annex 1,
    Ref. No. 7) in 1963.

         Since the previous evaluation, no additional data have become
    available. The previously published monograph is reproduced in its
    entirety below.

    BIOLOGICAL DATA

    BIOCHEMICAL ASPECTS

         Calcium is an essential nutrient. It is present in large
    quantities in the body. Its absorption and metabolism are related to
    vitamin D and phosphorus intake and to the functional activity of the
    parathyroid glands. It is unlikely that a relatively small addition to
    the daily calcium intake would have any effects in the body and even
    larger doses would be likely to cause effects only if vitamin D intake
    were also increased.

         The acetate and chloride moieties of these two compounds can be
    disregarded from a toxicological point of view. They enter naturally
    into the metabolism of the body.

         No definitive estimates of the LD50 for calcium acetate or
    calcium chloride have been found in the literature.

    Short-term studies

         Nothing was found in the literature concerning the toxicology of
    calcium acetate or calcium chloride specifically. Acetic acid given to
    rats in the drinking water at a level of 0.25% caused no toxic
    symptoms, while 0.5% produced a slight retardation of growth
    (Sollmann, 1921).

    Long-term studies

         No animal data have been found in the literature. About 1 g a day
    of acetic acid, present in vinegar and other items of food and drink,
    has been consumed by man for centuries, apparently without giving rise
    to any ill effects.

    Comments:

         Judging from the report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Group on
    Calcium Requirements (FAO/WHO, 1962), the average daily intake of this
    element for man may safely extend from about 400 mg up to 2 or even 3
    g. The contribution of calcium derived from compounds used as food
    additives according to present practice is unlikely to increase
    substantially the total intake. For this reason, no specific figures
    have been proposed for acceptable daily intakes of these calcium salts
    except that the acceptable daily intake of calcium gluconate should
    comply with the limits set for gluconic acid.

    EVALUATION

    Estimate of acceptable daily intake for man

         Not limited.*

    REFERENCES

    FAO/WHO (1962) FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1962, No. 30; Wld
         Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 230

    Sollmann, T. (1921) J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther., 16, 463

              

    *    See relevant paragraph in the seventeenth report, pp. 10-11.

    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations