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.

    MIXED TARTARIC, ACETIC AND FATTY ACID ESTERS OF GLYCEROL

    Explanation

         These emulsifiers have been evaluated for acceptable daily intake
    by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (see Annex 1,
    Ref. No. 13) in 1966.

         The previously published monograph has been revised and is
    reproduced in its entirety below.

    BIOLOGICAL DATA

    BIOCHEMICAL ASPECTS

         In an aqueous medium the substance is spontaneously hydrolyzed
    into free tartaric acid and glycerol esters of acetic and fatty acids
    (Kieckebusch et al., 1967).

    TOXICOLOGICAL STUDIES

    Acute toxicity
                                                                    

                             LD50
    Animal      Route        (mg/kg bw)     Reference
                                                                    

    Mouse       oral         20 000         Kieckebusch et al., 1967
                                                                    

         The figure given is for a commercial product, consisting of 16%
    of the ester, 44% fat, 20% glucose and 20% sucrose.

    Short-term studies

         No data are available.

    Long-term studies

    Rat

         Fifteen male and 15 female rats were fed the ester at a level of 
    0.8% for 24 months. No significant difference was found between the
    test animals and controls regarding body weight, food consumption,
    reproduction, external appearance and mortality rate. The histological
    examination of the main organs showed no differences attributable to
    the substance administered (Mosinger, 1965).

         Groups of 20 male and 20 female rats were fed the 16% ester
    product at dose levels of 0, 100 and 400 mg/kg bw per day for
    28 months. No significant differences were found between the groups
    regarding body weight, food consumption, food efficiency,
    reproduction, external appearance and mortality rate. The histological
    examination of the main organs showed no differences attributable to
    the test substance (Kieckebusch et al,, 1967).

    Comments:

         The experimental studies showed no evidence of any toxic effects
    from administration of these esters. Furthermore, this additive is
    hydrolyzed either in the food or in the intestinal tract to normal
    dietary constituents.

    EVALUATION

    Estimate of acceptable daily intake for man

         Not limited.*

    REFERENCES

    Kieckebusch, W. et al. (1967) Unpublished report

    Mosinger, M. (1965) Unpublished report


                 

    *    See relevant paragraph in the seventeenth report, pages 10-11.

         As sum of total glycerol esters of fatty acids and acetic,
    citric, lactic and tartaric acids, provided that the total food
    additive intake of tartaric acid does not exceed 30 mg/kg.

    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations