FAO Nutrition Meetings
Resort Series No. 44A
WHO/Food Add./68.33
TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME
FLAVOURING SUBSTANCES AND
NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENING AGENTS
Geneva, 21-28 August 1967
The Eleventh Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
Additives is published as FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series,
1967, No. 44; Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1968, 383. This
Report contains general considerations, including the principles
adopted for the evaluation, and a summary of the results of the
evaluations of a number of food additives. Additional information,
such as biological data and a toxicological evaluation, considered at
that meeting, is to be found in this document.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
World Health Organization
1967
ETHYL HEPTANOATE
Synonyms Ethyl heptoate; ethyl oenanthoeat
Chemical name Ethyl heptanoate
Empirical forumula C9H18O2
Structural formula CH3(CH2)5COOC2H5
Molecular weight 158.24
Definition Ethyl heptanoate contains not less than
97 per cent. C9H18O2*
Description A colourless liquid having a fruity,
wine-like odour and taste with a burning
after-taste.
Biological Data
Biochemical aspects
This ester is probably hydrolyzed in the body into heptanoic acid
and ethyl alcohol. Heptanoic acid is further metabolized into pimelic
and malonic acids, and in rabbits gives rise to keto bodies (van
Oettingen, 1960).
Acute toxicity
Animal Route LD50 Reference
(mg/kg
body-weight)
Rat oral >34 640 Jenner et al., 1964
Rat. Groups of 10 male and 10 female rats were fed diets
containing 0, 0.1 and 1 per cent. of ester for 13 weeks. No adverse
effects were noted on body-weight gain, food consumption, organ
weight, haematology and histological appearance of the major organs
(Hagan et al., 1967).
Long-term studies
None available.
Comments
Only scanty animal data are available but these permit
evaluation. Further metabolic studies are needed.
EVALUATION
Level causing no toxicological effect
Rat. 1 per cent. (= 10 000 ppm) in the diet, equivalent to 500
mg/kg body-weight/day.
Estimate of acceptable daily intake for man
mg/kg body-weight
Conditional acceptance 0-1
Further work required
Biochemical and metabolic studies in animals and man.
REFERENCES
Hagan, E. C., Hansen, W. H, Fitzhugh, O. G, Jenner, P. M. Jones, W. I,
Taylor, J.M., Long, E. L., Nelson, A. A. & Brouwer, J. B. (1967)
Fd Cosmet. Toxicol., 5(2), 141
Jenner, P. M., Hagan, E. C., Taylor, J. M, Cook, E. L. & Fitzhugh, O.
G. (1964) Fd Cosmet. Toxicol., 2, 327
Von Oettingen, W. F. (1960) A.M.A. Arch. Ind. Healt 21, 109