FAO Nutrition Meetings
    Report Series No. 40A,B,C
    WHO/Food Add./67.29




    TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME
    ANTIMICROBIALS, ANTIOXIDANTS, EMULSIFIERS,
    STABILIZERS, FLOUR-TREATMENT AGENTS, ACIDS AND BASES





    The content of this document is the result of the deliberations of the
    Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives which met at Rome,
    13-20 December, 19651 Geneva, 11-18 October, 19662




                   

    1 Ninth Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
    Additives, FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1966 No. 40; 
    Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1966, 339

    2 Tenth Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
    Additives, FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1967, in press; 


    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
    World Health Organization
    1967


    OXIDES OF NITROGEN

         In the absence of adequate chemical data from the manufacturers,
    specifications for oxides of nitrogen have not been prepared and will
    not be established until the biological studies requested have been
    made available.

    Biological Data

    Biochemical aspects

         It is considered important that the products resulting from the
    treatment of flour with oxides of nitrogen should be adequately
    investigated, particularly for the possible presence of nitrosamines.
    The only information obtained from the literature is on flour
    contaminated accidentally by exposure to air containing oxides of
    nitrogen (Buré, 1962). The presence of nitrites in flour treated with
    oxides of nitrogen has been demonstrated (Wesener & Telley, 1909).

    Acute toxicity

         Not relevant

    Short-term studies

         Dog. Dogs were fed 30-50 g/kg body-weight/day of flour treated
    with nitrogen oxide (treatment level, 11 amperes/100 lbs) for 21-38
    days. No running fits were observed and the dogs remained in apparent
    good health (Radomski et al., 1948).

    Long-term studies

         No data are available.

    Evaluation

         On the available data it is not possible to arrive at an estimate
    of acceptable level of treatment of flour. Nevertheless it is not
    considered necessary to discontinue the use of oxides of nitrogen at
    the present treatment levels, provided the following further work
    required is made available.

    Further work required

         Analytical - measurement of nitrite, nitrate and nitrosamines in
    treated flour and bread made from it.

         Toxicological - long-term tests on treated flour and bread made
    from it.

    REFERENCES

    Buré, J. (1962) Ann. des Fraudes et de l'Expert. Chim., 638, 52

    Radomski, J. L., Woodward, G. & Lehman, A. J. (1948) J. Nutr., 36,
    15

    Wesener, -. & Telley, -. (1909) Amer. Food J.
    

    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations
       NITROGEN OXIDES (JECFA Evaluation)
       Nitrogen oxides (PIM G017)