INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME ON CHEMICAL SAFETY
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME
FOOD COLOURS, ENZYMES, FLAVOUR
ENHANCERS, THICKENING AGENTS, AND
CERTAIN FOOD ADDITIVES
WHO FOOD ADDITIVES SERIES 6
The evaluations contained in this publication were prepared by the
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives which met in Rome,
4-13 June 19741
World Health Organization Geneva 1975
1 Eighteenth Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on
Food Additives, Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1974, No. 557.
FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1974, No. 54.
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 EIGHTEENTH JOINT FAO/WHO EXPERT COMMITTEE ON FOOD
ADDITIVES
Rome, 4-13 June 1974
Members invited by FAO
Mr D. F. Dodgen, Director, Food Chemicals Codex, National Academy of
Sciences, Washington, United States of America
Dr H. Eich, BRD, DFG Food Colour Commission, Besigheim, Rossertweg 8,
Federal Republic of Germany
Dr S. W. Gunner, Head, Food Additive Unit, Division of Additives and
Pesticides, Bureau of Chemical Safety, Health Protection Branch,
Department of National Health and Welfare, Ottawa, Canada
Mr A. W. Hubbard, Head, Food Science Division, Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, London, England (Vice-Chairman)
Dr K. Kojima, Director, Laboratory for Medicinal Plants, National
Institute of Hygienic Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
Dr P. L. Schuller, Head of the Laboratory for Chemical Analysis of
Foodstuffs, National Institute of Public Health, Bilthoven,
Netherlands
Members invited by WHO
Dr F. Berglund, Head, Food Research Department, National Food
Administration, Stockholm, Sweden
Dr J. C. Dacre, Associate Professor of Medicine, Laboratory of
Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Tulane University
Medical School, New Orleans, United States of America
Dr W. A. Mannell, Chief, Toxicological Evaluation Division, Foods
Directorate, Health Protection Branch, Department of National
Health and Welfare, Ottawa, Canada (Rapporteur)
Professor P. Marquardt, Chief, Institute for Experimental
Therapeutics, University of Freiburg, Freiburg i. Brisgau,
Federal Republic of Germany
Dr P. Shubik, Director, Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer,
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United
States of America
Professor R. Truhaut, Director, Toxicological Research Centre,
Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, René
Descartes University, Paris, France
Observers (invited by FAO)
Dr G. F. Wilmink, Chairman Codex Committee on Food Additives; Ministry
of Agriculture and Fisheries, The Hague, Netherlands
Dr R. Marcuse, Chairman, IUPAC, Food Section; Swedish Institute of
Food Preservation Research, SIK, Göteborg, Sweden
Secretariat
Dr H. Blumenthal, Deputy Director, Division of Toxicology, Bureau of
Foods, Food and Drug Administration, Washington, United States of
America (WHO Consultant)
Mrs B. M. Dix, Nutrition Officer, Food Standards and Food Science
Service, FAO, Rome
Dr P.S. Elias, Principal Medical Officer, Department of Health and
Social Security, London, England (WHO Consultant)
Dr K. O. Herz, Nutrition Officer, Food Standards and Food Science
Service, FAO, Rome
Dr L. G. Ladomery, Liaison Officer, Food Standards and Food Science
Service, FAO, Rome
Dr F. C. Lu, Chief, Food Additives, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland (Joint
Secretary)
Dr R. K. Malik, Senior Officer, Food Standards and Food Science
Service, FAO, Rome (Joint Secretary)
Dr F. Tarding, Head, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of
Toxicology, National Food Institute, SØborg, Denmark (WHO
Consultant)
Dr G. Vettorazzi, Scientist, Food Additives, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
See Also:
Toxicological Abbreviations