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.