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. SODIUM DIACETATE Explanation Sodium diacetate has been evaluated for acceptable daily intake by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (see Annex 1, Ref. No. 6) in 1961. Since the previous evaluation, additional data have become available and are summarized and discussed in the following monograph. The previously published monograph has been expanded and is reproduced in its entirety below. BIOLOGICAL DATA BIOCHEMICAL ASPECTS There are no studies with sodium diacetate as such, but it may be expected to be metabolized in the same way as other salts of acetic acid after absorption. TOXICOLOGICAL STUDIES Acute toxicity There is no direct information on the LD50 of sodium diacetate in animals. It is probably similar to that of neutralized acetic acid. Neutralized acetic acid Animal Route LD50 Reference (mg/kg bw) Mouse oral 3 310 Woodard et al., 1941 Rat oral 4 960 Woodard et al., 1941 Rat oral 3 530 Smyth, 1951 Short-term studies Rat Since there are no data on sodium diacetate as such, studies with acetic acid may be considered. Rats given drinking water containing 0.25% of acetic acid were not affected; at a concentration of 0.5% growth was inhibited (Sollmann, 1920-21). Long-term studies No studies in animals are available. Acetic acid from vinegar and from other sources is normally consumed by man in amounts of about 1 g daily, apparently without adverse effects. OBSERVATIONS IN MAN Comments: In the absence of long-term studies, an acceptable level of human intake of sodium diacetate has been estimated from the observations of the effect of acetic acid in animals and in man. EVALUATION Estimate of acceptable daily intake for man 0-15 mg/kg bw REFERENCES Smyth, H. F. jr (1951) A.M.A. Arch. industr. Hyg., 4, 119 Sollmann, T. (1920-21) J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther., 16, 463 Woodard, G. et al. (1941) J. industr. Hyg., 23, 78
See Also: Toxicological Abbreviations SODIUM DIACETATE (JECFA Evaluation)