WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
Toxicological evaluation of some food colours, thickening
agents, and certain other substancse
WHO FOOD ADDITIVES SERIES NO. 8
The evaluations contained in this publication were prepared
by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives which
met in Geneva, 14-23 April 19751
World Health Organization, Geneva 1975
1 Nineteenth Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
Additives, Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1975, No. 576;
FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1975, No. 55.
The monographs contained in the present volume are
also issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations, Rome, as
FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, No. 55A
ISBN 92 4 166008 2
(C) FAO and WHO 1975
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 International 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 (Anti-
microbial 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 Anti-
microbials 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 Additive
Series, 1972, No. 4.
32. Toxicological Evaluation of Certain Food Additives with a Review
of General Principles and of Specifications. Seventeenth Report.
FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1974, No. 53; Wld Hlth
Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1974, No. 539.
33. Toxicological Evaluation of Certain Food Additives Including
Anticaking Agents, Antimicrobials, Antioxidants, Emulsifiers, and
Thickening Agents. FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, No.
53A; WHO Food Additives Series, 1974, No. 5.
34. Evaluation of Certain Food Additives. Eighteenth Report.
FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1974, No. 54; Wld Hlth
Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1974, No. 557.
35. Toxicological Evaluation of Some Food Colours, Enzymes, Flavour
Enhancers, Thickening Agents, and Certain Other Food Additives.
FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, No. 55; WHO Food
Additives Series, 1975, No. 6.
* 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 NINETEENTH JOINT FAO/WHO EXPERT COMMITTEE ON
FOOD ADDITIVES
Geneva, 14-23 April 1975
Members invited by FAO
Mr D. F. Dodgen, Director, Food Chemicals Codex, National Academy of
Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
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
Mr A. J. Schmitz, jr, Director, Quality Control and Assurance, Pfizer,
Inc., New York, NY, USA
Dr P. L. Schuller, Head, Laboratory for Chemical Analysis of
Foodstuffs, National Institute of Public Health, Bilthoven,
Netherlands
Members invited by WHO
Dr F. Berglund, Aktiebolaget KABI, Stockholm, Sweden (Rapporteur)
Professor I. A. Karpljuk, Head, Department of Hygiene of Nutrition,
Central Institute of Postgraduate Training, Moscow, USSR
Dr P. Shubik, Director, Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer,
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
(Chairman)
Professor R. Truhaut, Director, Toxicological Research Centre,
Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, René
Descartes University, Paris, France
Dr A. Wolf, Research Centre for Food Hygiene and Human Nutrition,
Institute of Hygiene, Prague, Czechoslovakia
Professor G. Zbinden, Institute of Pathological Anatomy, University of
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Observers (invited by FAO)
Dr R. Marcuse, Chairman, Food Section, IUPAC, Swedish Institute for
Food Preservation Research, Göteborg, Sweden
Dr G. F. Wilmink, Chairman, Codex Committee on Food Additives,
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, The Hague, Netherlands
Secretariat
Dr H. Blumenthal, Acting Director, Division of Toxicology, Bureau of
Foods, Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC, USA
(Temporary Adviser)
Miss S. Edstam, Food Standards and Food Science Service, Food Policy
and
Nutrition Division, FAO, Rome, Italy
Dr P.S. Elias, Principal Medical Officer, Department of Health and
Social Security, London, England (Temporary Adviser)
Dr K. O. Herz, Nutrition Officer, Food Standards and Food Science
Service, Food Policy and Nutrition Division, FAO, Rome, Italy
(Joint Secretary)
Dr F. C. Lu, Chief, Food Additives, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland (Joint
Secretary)
Dr G. Vettorazzi, Scientist, Food Additives, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland