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
CITRIC ACID
Chemical name Citric acid; 2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic
acid; ß-hyroxytricarballylic acid
Empirical formula (a) C6H8O7 (anhydrous)
(b) C6H8O7.H2O (monohydrate)
Structural formula (a) (b)
CH2 - COOH CH2 - COOH
' '
HO - C - COOH HO - C-COOH . H2O
' '
CH2 - COOH CH2 - COOH
Molecular weight (a) 192.13 (b) 210.15
Definition Citric acid my be anhydrous or it my contain one
molecule of water. Citric acid contains not less
than 99.5 per cent. of C6H8O7, calculated on
an hydrous basis.
Description Citric acid is a white or colourless, odourless,
crystalline solid.
Biological Data
Biological data are given in the Sixth Report o£ the Joint
FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (FAO/WHO, 1962).
Re-evaluation
The committee considered that citric acid and its calcium,
potassium and sodium salts do not constitute a significant
toxicological hazard to man.
Evaluation
Not limited.
REFERENCES
FAO/WHO (1962) FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, No, 31;
Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 228