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.
HYDROXYLATED LECITHIN
Biological Data
Biochemical aspects
Hydroxylated lecithin appears to increase gluten extensibility and
water dispersibility. No detailed metabolic studies on thin substance
are available, which itself is not a normal constituent of the body,
although lecithin itself is an essential constituent of all cells of
the human body.
Acute toxicity
No studies are available.
Short-term studies
Rat. Two groups of six male and six female rats were fed a diet
containing 90 per cent. bread made from flour containing 0 or five per
cent. hydroxylated lecithin for 12 weeks. No adverse effects were
noted on body-weight gain, food intake, appearance and behaviour of
animals and haematology. Gross autopsy was normal (Oser, 1952).
Long-term studies
None are available.
Comments
Phosphatides prepared from different sources may cause a variety of
effects and it is therefore unwise to assume that modified lecithin
will behave similarly in all respects to a given unmodified lecithin.
Lecithins are susceptible to oxidation. Hydroxylated lecithin has not
been adequately studied from the toxicological point of view and there
are no satisfactory data available on which an evaluation could be
based.
EVALUATION
Not possible on the data available.
REFERENCES
Oser, B. L. (1952) Unpublished report by Food Research Labs, dated 16
May 1952