FAO Nutrition Meetings
    Resort Series No. 44A
    WHO/Food Add./68.33




    TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME
    FLAVOURING SUBSTANCES AND
    NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENING AGENTS





    Geneva, 21-28 August 1967



    The Eleventh Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
    Additives is published as FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series,
    1967, No. 44; Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1968, 383. This
    Report contains general considerations, including the principles
    adopted for the evaluation, and a summary of the results of the
    evaluations of a number of food additives. Additional information,
    such as biological data and a toxicological evaluation, considered at
    that meeting, is to be found in this document.


    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
    World Health Organization
    1967


    BENZYL ACETATE

    Chemical name            Benzyl ethanoate

    Empirical formula        C9H10O2

    Structural formula

    

    Molecular weight         150.18

    Definition               Benzyl acetate contains not less than 97 per
                             cent. C9H10O2.

    Description              A colourless liquid having a characteristic
                             floral odour.

    Biological Data

    Biochemical aspects

         This compound is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract,
    through the lungs and through the intact skin. It is hydrolyzed in man
    to benzyl alcohol and acetate; the benzyl radical is oxidized to
    benzoic acid and excreted as hippuric acid while the acetate fraction
    follows normal metabolic pathways (Snapper et al., 1925).

    Acute toxicity

                                                                       

    Animal      Route       LD50                References
                            (mg/kg 
                            body-weight)
                                                                       

    Rat         oral        2490-3690           Jenner et al., 1967;
                                                von Oettingen, 1960
    Rabbit      oral        2640                von Oettingen, 1960
                                                                       

         Oral or parenteral administration to rabbits or dogs caused CNS
    paralysis and diuresis.

    Short-term studies

         Rat.  Groups of 15 males and 15 females were fed a mixture of
    aromatic esters, including 15.8 mg/kg body-weight/day of benzyl
    acetate, for 12 weeks. No adverse effects were noted (Oser, 1967).

    Long-term studies

         None available.

    Comments

         Although the animal data are confined to acute and short-term
    studies, the known metabolic fate of this ester provides a basis for
    evaluation. The acceptable daily intake is expressed in terms of the
    final metabolite, benzoic acid.

    EVALUATION

    Estimate of acceptable daily intake for man

                                            mg/kg body-weight1

              Unconditional acceptance             0-5

    REFERENCES

    Jenner, P. M., Hagan, E.C., Taylor, J. M., Cook, E. L. & Fitzhugh, O.
    G. 1964 Fd Cosmet. Toxicol., 2, 327

    von Oettingen, W. F. (1960) A.M.A. Arch. Ind. Health, 21, 28

    Oser, B. L. (1967) Unpublished report

    Snapper, I., Grunbaum, A. & Sturkop, S. (1925) Biochem. Z., 155,
    163

                   

    1 Calculated as total benzoic, acid from all food additive sources.
    

    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations
       Benzyl acetate (ICSC)
       Benzyl acetate (WHO Food Additives Series 26)
       Benzyl acetate (WHO Food Additives Series 32)
       Benzyl acetate (WHO Food Additives Series 37)
       BENZYL ACETATE (JECFA Evaluation)
       Benzyl Acetate  (IARC Summary & Evaluation, Volume 40, 1986)
       Benzyl Acetate  (IARC Summary & Evaluation, Volume 71, 1999)