INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME ON CHEMICAL SAFETY
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME
FOOD COLOURS, EMULSIFIERS, STABILIZERS,
ANTI-CAKING AGENTS AND CERTAIN
OTHER SUBSTANCES
FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series
No. 46A WHO/FOOD ADD/70.36
The content of this document is the result of the deliberations of the
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives which met in Rome,
27 May - 4 June 19691
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
World Health Organization
1 Thirteenth report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
Additives, FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, in press;
Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., in press.
STARCH SODIUM SUCCINATE
Modification is performed by 4 per cent. succinic anhydride to form
the succinic acid ester. The extent of esterification is not known.
The material used in the tests described below was prepared in the
laboratory, where a high reaction efficiency (80 per cent., or 3.2 per
cent. of succinic anhydride reacted, a degree of substitution of about
0.05) may have been attained.
Biological Data
Biochemical aspects
No enzymatic hydrolysis data about in vitro behaviour are available.
Caloric value was determined in groups of 10 male rats fed for 4 weeks
a basal diet supplemented with either starch, starch succinate or
sucrose, the last in graded amounts. All rats were normally active and
remained healthy. The caloric equivalent of the starch ester, as
determined from comparison with the dose response curve for sucrose at
0, 0.75 g, 1.5 g, 3.0 g and 4.5 g (equivalent to 0, 3, 6, 12 and 18
calories per day), was identical with that of native starch (Carson,
1960).
Acute toxicity
None available.
Short-term studies
Rat. Groups of 3 male and 3 female rats were fed for 10 weeks on
diets containing 70 per cent. of starch or starch sodium succinate as
their sole source of carbohydrate. Groups were fed ad lib and also
pair-fed. No significant differences were observed in growth rates,
feed efficiency or haemoglobin levels between the various groups. No
histopathological examinations were reported (Oser, 1945).
Long-term studies
None available.
Comments
The biological data for this starch ester are inadequate. Adequate
metabolic studies preferably in man are desirable and 90-day studies
in at least two species (one a non-rodent mammal) on material of known
degree of substitution are required.
EVALUATION
Not possible on the data available.
REFERENCES
Carson, S., (1960) Unpublished report by Food and Drug Research
Laboratories Inc., No. 80878c-e, 1 December 1960.
Oser, B. L., (1945) Unpublished report by Food Research Laboratories
Inc., No. 39989-92, 15 February 1945.