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.
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, 1957, No. 15;
Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1957, No. 129.
2. Procedures for the Testing of Intentional 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 Colours, 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 Antioxidants. 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/Food
Add/24.65.
*10. Specifications for Identity and Purity and Toxicological
Evaluation of 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. 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.
*13. 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.
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, Stabilizers, Anticaking Agents and Certain Other
Food Additives. 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/Food Add/70.39.
*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/70.40.
*25. A Review of the Technological Efficacy of Some Antimicrobial
Agents. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1971, No. 48C;
WHO/Food Add/70.41.
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, 1972, 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, 1972, No. 2.
29. A Review of the Technological Efficacy of Some Antioxidants and
Synergists. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1972, No.
50C; WHO Food Additives Series, 1972, No. 3.
30. Evaluation of Certain Food Additives and the Contaminants
Mercury, Lead and Cadmium. Sixteenth Report. FAO Nutrition
Meetings Report Series, 1972, No. 51; Wld Hlth Org. techn.
Rep. Ser., 1972, No. 505.
31. Evaluation of Mercury, Lead, Cadmium and the Food Additives
Amaranth, Diethylpyrocarbonate and Octyl Gallate. FAO Nutrition
Meetings Report Series, 1972, No. 51A; WHO Food Additives
Series, 1972, No. 4.
* These documents can be obtained on request from: Food Additives,
World Health Organization, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, or Food Policy
and Food Science Service, Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations, 00100 Rome, Italy.
ANNEX 2
MEMBERSHIP OF THE SEVENTEENTH
JOINT FAO/WHO EXPERT COMMITTEE ON FOOD ADDITIVES
Geneva, 25 June - 4 July 1973
Members
Professor F. Berglund, Head, Food Research Department, National Food
Administration, Stockholm, Sweden (Rapporteur)
Mr D. F. Dodgen, Director, Food Chemicals Codex, National Academy of
Sciences, Washington, D.C., USA
Dr L. Golberg, Scientific Director, Institute of Experimental
Pathology and Toxicology, Albany Medical College of Union
University, Albany, N.Y., USA
Dr A. P. de Groot, Head, Department of Biology and Toxicology, Central
Institute for Nutrition and Food Research, TNO, Zeist,
Netherlands
Dr K. Kojima, Chief, Food Chemistry Division, Ministry of Health and
Welfare, Tokyo, Japan (Vice-Chairman)
Dr W. A. Mannell, Chief, Division of Toxicology, Department of
National Health and Welfare, Ottawa, Canada
Professor M. J. Rand, Department of Pharmacology, University of
Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia (Chairman)
Professor R. Truhaut, Director, Toxicological Research Centre, Faculty
of Pharmacy, University of Paris, France
Dr A. N. Zajcev, Head, Laboratory for Hygienic Examination of Food
Additives, Institute of Nutrition of the Academy of Medical
Sciences of the USSR, Moscow, USSR
Observers (invited by FAO)
Dr G. F. Wilmink, Chairman, Codex Committee on Food Additives, The
Hague, Netherlands
Secretariat
Dr H. Blumenthal, Deputy Director, Division of Toxicology, Bureau of
Foods, Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C., USA
(Temporary Adviser)
Mrs B. M. Dix, Associate Expert, Food Policy and Nutrition Division,
FAO, Rome, Italy
Dr P. S. Elias, Principal Medical Officer, Department of Health and
Social Security, London, England (Temporary Adviser)
Dr L. G. Ladomery, FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, Food Policy and
Nutrition Division, FAO, Rome, Italy
Dr F. C. Lu, Chief, Food Additives, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland (Joint
Secretary)
Mr R. K. Malik, Food Standards and Control Service, Food Policy and
Nutrition Division, FAO, Rome, Italy (Joint Secretary)
Dr G. Vettorazzi, Scientist, Food Additives, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
Dr A. Wolf, Chief, Department of Food Hygiene and Human Nutrition,
Institute of Hygiene, Ministry of Health, Prague, Czechoslovakia
(Temporary Adviser)
See Also:
Toxicological Abbreviations