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    FAO Nutrition Meetings
    Report Series No. 40A,B,C
    WHO/Food Add./67.29




    TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME
    ANTIMICROBIALS, ANTIOXIDANTS, EMULSIFIERS,
    STABILIZERS, FLOUR-TREATMENT AGENTS, ACIDS AND BASES





    The content of this document is the result of the deliberations of the
    Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives which met at Rome,
    13-20 December, 19651 Geneva, 11-18 October, 19662




                   

    1 Ninth Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
    Additives, FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1966 No. 40; 
    Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1966, 339

    2 Tenth Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
    Additives, FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1967, in press; 


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


    MIXED TARTARIC ACID AND ACETIC ACID AND FATTY ACID ESTERS OF GLYCEROL

    TARTARIC ACID AND FATTY ACID ESTERS OF GLYCEROL

    Synonyms                     Tartrated mono- and diglycerides;
                                 Tartaric acid esters of mono- and
                                 diglycerides

    Definition                   Tartaric acid and fatty acid esters of
                                 glycerol are formed by esterifying the
                                 hydroxyl groups of fatty acid esters of
                                 glycerol with tartaric acid.

    Uses                         As emulsifier

    ACETIC ACID AND FATTY ACID ESTERS OF GLYCEROL

    Biological Data

    Biochemical aspects

         In an aqueous medium the substance is spontaneously hydrolysed
    into free tartaric acid and glycerol esters of acetic and fatty acids
    (Kieckebusch et al., 1967).

    Acute toxicity

                                                                      

    Animal       Route     LD50            References
                           mg/kg 
                           body-weight)
                                                                      

    Mouse        oral      20 000          Kieckebusch et al., 1967
                                                                      

         The figure given is for a commercial product, consisting of 16
    per cent. of the ester, 44 per cent. fat, 20 per cent. glucose and 20
    per cent. sucrose.

    Short-term studies

         No data are available.

    Long-term studies

         Rat. Fifteen male and 15 female rats were fed the ester at a
    level of 0.8 per cent. for 24 months. No significant difference was
    found between the test animals and controls regarding body-weight,
    food consumption, reproduction, external appearance and mortality

    rate. The histological examination of the main organs showed no
    differences attributable to the substance administered (Mosinger,
    1965).

         Groups of 20 male and 20 female rats were fed the 16 per cent.
    ester product at dose levels of 0, 100 and 400 mg/kg body-weight/day
    for 28 months. No significant differences were found between the
    groups regarding body-weight, food consumption, food efficiency,
    reproduction, external appearance and mortality rate. The histological
    examination of the main organs showed no differences attributable to
    the test substance (Kieckebusch et al., 1967).

    Comments

         The experimental studies showed no evidence of any toxic effects
    from administration of these esters. Furthermore, this additive is
    hydrolysed either in the food or in the intestinal tract to normal
    dietary constituents. Evaluation is based on the content of tartaric
    acid (FAO/WHO, 1965a; 1965b).

    Evaluation

    Estimate of acceptable daily intake for man

                                      mg/kg body-weight*
           Unconditional acceptance         0-100

       DL-Lactic acid
           Conditional acceptance           0-1001

       Tartaric acid
           Unconditional acceptance         0-62
           Conditional acceptance           6-202

    REFERENCES

    FAO/WHO (1965a) FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series No. 38; 
    Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 309, p.25

    FAO/WHO (1965b) FAO Nutrition meetings Report Series No. 38A;
    WHO/Food Add./24.65

    Kieckebusch, W., Griem, W., Czok, G. & Lang, K. (1967) In press

    Mosinger, M. (1965) Unpublished report

                   

    * As sum of total glycerol esters of fatty acids and acetic, citric,
    lactic and tartaric acids, provided that the total food additive
    intake of the following acids does not exceed, for
    1 Refers to content of D(-)-Lactic acid.
    2 Does not include the amounts occurring naturally.
    


    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations