Safety evaluation of certain food additives - ipcs inchem

346 ALIPHATIC LINEAR ,-UNSATURATED ALDEHYDES
carcinogenicity and studies of genotoxicity were available. None raised safety
concerns. The toxicity data available for this evaluation supported those from the
previous evaluation.
The Committee concluded that these 22 flavouring agents, which are
additions to the group of aliphatic linear ,-unsaturated aldehydes, acids and
related alcohols, acetals and esters evaluated previously, would not give rise to
safety concerns at the current estimated levels of intake.
2. RELEVANT BACKGROUND INFORMATION
2.1 Explanation
This monograph summarizes key aspects relevant to the safety evaluation
of 22 aliphatic linear ,-unsaturated aldehydes, acids and related alcohols, acetals
and esters, which are additions to a group of 37 flavouring agents evaluated
previously by the Committee at its sixty-third meeting (Annex 1, reference 173).
2.2 Additional considerations on intake
Production volumes and intake values for each flavouring agent are reported
in Table 2.
Thirteen of the 22 flavouring agents in the group have been reported to
occur naturally in traditional foods (Nijssen et al., 2007; Table 2). Quantitative data
on natural occurrence have been reported or calculated for four of them (Stofberg
& Grundschober, 1987). The consumption of (E)-tetradec-2-enal (No. 1803), ethyl
trans-2-butenoate (No. 1806), ethyl trans-2-hexenoate (No. 1808) and ethyl
trans-2-octenoate (No. 1812) is derived predominately from their presence in
traditional foods (i.e. they have a consumption ratio 1; Table 2).
2.3 Biological data
2.3.1 Biochemical data
No relevant information additional to that available and described in the
reports of the sixty-third meeting (Annex 1, references 173 and 174) was available
on the hydrolysis, absorption, distribution, metabolism or excretion of flavouring
agents belonging to the group of aliphatic linear ,-unsaturated aldehydes, acids
and related alcohols, acetals and esters.
2.3.2 Toxicological studies
(a) Acute toxicity
Oral median lethal doses (LD50 values) in rats have been reported for 3 of
the 22 substances in this group. For ethyl trans-2-butenoate (No. 1806), the LD50
was 3000 mg/kg body weight (bw) (Smyth & Carpenter, 1944). For hexyl
2-butenoate (No. 1807) and (E,Z)-methyl 2-nonenoate (No. 1813), the LD50 was