WHO Food Additives Series, 1972, No. 4
EVALUATION OF MERCURY, LEAD, CADMIUM
AND THE FOOD ADDITIVES AMARANTH,
DIETHYLPYROCARBONATE, AND OCTYL GALLATE
The evaluations contained in this publication were prepared by the
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives which met in Geneva,
4-12 April 19721
World Health Organization
Geneva
1972
1 Sixteenth Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
Additives, Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1972, No. 505; FAO
Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1972, No. 51.
ANNEX 1
REPORTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RESULTING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS OF THE
JOINT FAO/WHO EXPERT COMMITTEE ON FOOD ADDITIVES
1. General Principles Governing the Use of Food Additives. First
Report. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1956, No. 11; Wld Hlth
Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1956, No. 129
2. Procedures for the Testing of International Food Additives to
Establish their Safety for Use. Second Report. FAO Nutrition
Meetings Report Series, 1958, No. 17; Wld Hlth Org techn. Rep. Ser.,
1958, No-144
3. Specifications for Identity and Purity of Food Additives
(Antimicrobial Preservatives and Antioxidants). Third Report. These
specifications were subsequently revised and published as
Specifications for Identity and Purity of Food Additives, vol. I.
Antimicrobial Preservatives and Antioxidants. Rome, Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1962
4. Specifications for Identity and Purity of Food Additives (Food
Colours). Fourth Report. These specifications were subsequently
revised and published as Specifications for Identity and Purity of
Food Additives, vol. II. Food Colors, Rome, Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, 1963
5. Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Hazards of Food Additives. Fifth
Report. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1961, No. 29; Wld Hlth
Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1961, No. 220
6. Evaluation of the Toxicity of a Number of Antimicrobials and
Antioxidants, Sixth Report. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series,
1962, No. 31; Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1962, No. 228
7. Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives and
their Toxicological Evaluation: Emulsifiers, Stabilizers, Bleaching
and Maturing Agents. Seventh Report. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report
Series, 1964, No. 35; Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1964, No. 281
8. Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives and
their Toxicological Evaluation: Food Colours and Some Antimicrobials
and Antitoxidants. Eighth Report. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report
Series, 1965, No. 38; Wld. Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1965, No. 309
*9. Specifications for Identity and Purity and Toxicological
Evaluation of some Antimicrobials and Antioxidants. FAO Nutrition
Meetings Report Series, 1965, No. 38A; WHO/FAO Add./24.65
*10. Specifications for Identity and Purity and Toxicological
Evaluation of some Food Colours. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report
Series, 1966, No. 38B; WHO/Food Add/66.25
11. Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives and
their Toxicological Evaluation: Some Antimicrobials, Antioxidants,
Emulsifiers, Stabilizers, Flour-treatment Agents, Acids and Bases.
Ninth Report. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1966, No. 40; Wld
Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1966, No. 339
*12. Toxicological Evaluation of Some Antimicrobials, Antioxidants,
Emulsifiers, Stabilizers, Flour-treatment Agents, Acids and Bases.
FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, No. 40A, B, C; WHO/Food
Add/67.29
13. Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives and
their Toxicological Evaluation: Some Emulsifiers and Stabilizers and
Certain Other Substances. Tenth Report. FAO Nutrition Meetings
Report Series, 1967, No. 43; Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1967, No,
373
14. Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives and
their Toxicological Evaluation: Some Flavouring Substances and
Non-Nutritive Sweetening Agents. Eleventh Report. FAO Nutrition
Meetings Report Series, 1968, No. 44; Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser.,
1968, No. 383
*15. Toxicological Evaluation of Some Flavouring Substances and
Non-Nutritive Sweetening Agents. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report
Series, 1968, No. 44A; WHO/Food Add/68.33
*16. Specifications and Criteria for Identity and Purity of Some
Flavouring Substances and Non-Nutritive Sweetening Agents. FAO
Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1969, No. 44B; WHO/Food Add/69.31
17. Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives and
their Toxicological Evaluation: Some Antibiotics. Twelfth Report.
FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1969, No. 45; Wld Hlth Org.
techn. Rep. Ser., 1969, No. 430
*18. Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Some Antibiotics.
FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1969, No. 45A; WHO/Food
Add/69.34.
19. Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives and
their Toxicological Evaluation: Some Food Colours, Emulsifiers,
Stabilizers, Anticaking Agents, and Certain Other Substances.
Thirteenth Report. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1970, No.
46; Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1970, No. 445
*20. Toxicological Evaluation of Some Food Colours, Emulsifiers,
Stabilizers, Anticaking Agents and Certain Other Substances. FAO
Nutrition Meetings Report Series, No. 46A; WHO/Food Add/ 70.36
*21. Specifications for the Identity and Purity of some Food Colours,
Emulsifiers and Stabilizers, Anticaking Agents and Certain Other
Substances. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, No. 46B; WHO/Food
Add/70.37
22. Evaluation of Food Additives. Specifications for the Identity and
Purity of Food Additives and their Toxicological Evaluation: Some
Extraction Solvents and Certain Other Substances; and a Review of the
Technological Efficacy of Some Antimicrobial Agents. Fourteenth
Report. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1971, No. 48; Wld Hlth
Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1971, No. 462
*23. Toxicological Evaluation of Some Extraction Solvents and Certain
Other Substances. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1971, No.
48A; WHO/Fod Add/71.39
*24. Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Some Extraction
Solvents and Certain Other Substances. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report
Series, 1971, No. 48B; WHO/Food Add/71.40
*25. A Review of the Technological Efficacy of Some Antimicrobial
Agents. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1971, No. 48C; WHO/Food
Add/71.41
26. Evaluation of Food Additives. Some Enzymes, Modified Starches,
and Certain Other Substances: Toxicological Evaluations and
Specifications and a Review of the Technological Efficacy of Some
Antioxidants. Fifteenth Report. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report
Series, 1972, No. 50; Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep, Ser., 1972, No. 488
27. Toxicological Evaluation of Some Enzymes, Modified Starches and
Certain Other Substances. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1972,
No. 50A; WHO Food Additives Series, No. 1
28. Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Some Enzymes and
Certain Other Substances. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1972,
No. 50B; WHO Food Additives Series, No. 2
29. A Review of the Technological Efficacy of Some Antioxidants. FAO
Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1972, No. 50C; WHO Food Additives
Series, No. 3
* These documents can be obtained on request from: Food Additives,
World Health Organization, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, or: Food
Policy and Food Science Serice, Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations, 00100 Rome, Italy.
ANNEX 2
MEMBERSHIP OF THE SIXTEENTH JOINT FAO/WHO EXPERT COMMITTEE ON FOOD
ADDITIVES
Geneva, 4-12 April 1972
Members invited by FAO
Mr H. Cheftel, Chairman, Scientific Sub-Committee, Permanent
International Committee on Canned Foods, Paris, France
Professor F. Cotta-Ramusino, Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Rome, Italy
Dr H. Egan, Government Chemist, Department of Trade and Industry,
London, England (Rapporteur)
Dr K. Kojima, Chief, Food Chemistry Division, Ministry of Health and
Welfare, Tokyo, Japan
Professor J. K. Miettinen, Head, Department of Radiochemistry,
University of Helsinki, Finland
Dr D. M. Smith, Head, Office for International Food Standards,
Department of National Health and Welfare, Ottawa, Canada
(Vice-Chairman)
Members invited by WHO
Professor F. Berglund, Head, Food Research Department, National Food
Administration, Stockholm, Sweden
Dr H. Blumenthal, Deputy Director, Division of Toxicology, Bureau of
Foods, Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C., United States
of America
Dr L. Golberg, Scientific Director, Institute of Experimental
Pathology and Toxicology, Albany Medical College of Union University,
Albary, N.Y., United States of America
Dr G. Kazantzis, Consultant Physician and Senior Lecturer in Community
Medicine, Middlesex Hospital, London, England (Rapporteur)
Dr M. Piscator, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental
Hygiene, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
Professor R. Truhaut, Director, Toxicological Research Centre, Faculty
of Pharmacy, University of Paris, France (Chairman)
Dr T. Tsubaki, Professor, Department of Neurology, Brain Research
Institute, Niigata University, Niigata City, Japan
Dr A. N. Zajcev, Head, Laboratory for Research on the Health Aspects
of Food Additives, Institute of Nutrition, Academy of Medical Sciences
of the USSR, Moscow, USSR
Observers (invited by FAO)
Dr O. R. Braekken, Chairman, Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery
Products, and Head, Government Vitamin Laboratory, Norwegian Fisheries
Research Institute, Bergen, Norway
Mr D. F. Dodgen, Director, Food Chemicals Codex, National Academy of
Sciences, Washington, D.C.. United States of America
Dr M. Hashimoto, Policy Co-ordinator. Environment Directorate,
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris, France
Mr C. Nobbs, Consultant, Environment Directorate, Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris, France
Dr G. F. Wilmink, Chairman, Codex Committee on Food Additives, The
Hague, Netherlands
Secretariat
Dr C. Agthe, Senior Scientist, Unit of Chemical Carcinogenesis,
International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
Dr P. S. Elias, Principal Medical Officer, Department of Health and
Social Security, London, England (Consultant)
Dr C. Jardin, Food Standards Officer, FAO, Rome, Italy
Dr F. C. Lu, Chief, Food Additives, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland (Joint
Secretary)
Mr R. K. Malik, Food Policy and Food Science Service, Nutrition
Division, FAO, Rome, Italy (Joint Secretary)
Dr S. I. Shibko, Assistant to the Director, Division of Toxicology,
Bureau of Foods, Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C.,
United States of America (Consultant)
Dr G. Vettorazzi, Scientist, Food Additives, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
See Also:
Toxicological Abbreviations