EFSA Journal (Mar 2020)

Re‐evaluation of l(+)‐tartaric acid (E 334), sodium tartrates (E 335), potassium tartrates (E 336), potassium sodium tartrate (E 337) and calcium tartrate (E 354) as food additives

  • EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF),
  • Maged Younes,
  • Gabriele Aquilina,
  • Laurence Castle,
  • Karl‐Heinz Engel,
  • Paul Fowler,
  • Maria Jose Frutos Fernandez,
  • Peter Fürst,
  • Rainer Gürtler,
  • Ursula Gundert‐Remy,
  • Trine Husøy,
  • Wim Mennes,
  • Romina Shah,
  • Ine Waalkens‐Berendsen,
  • Detlef Wölfle,
  • Polly Boon,
  • Paul Tobback,
  • Matthew Wright,
  • Jaime Aguilera,
  • Ana Maria Rincon,
  • Alexandra Tard,
  • Peter Moldeus

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6030
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 3
pp. n/a – n/a

Abstract

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Abstract The EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF) provides a scientific opinion on tartaric acid‐tartrates (E 334‐337, 354) when used as food additives. The Scientific Committee for Food (SCF) in 1990 established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 30 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day, for l(+)‐tartaric acid and its potassium and sodium salts. The metabolism of l(+)‐tartaric acid and its potassium sodium salt was shown to be species dependent, with a greater absorption in rats than in humans. No toxic effects, including nephrotoxicity, were observed in toxicological studies in which the l(+)‐form was tested. There was no indication for a genotoxic potential of tartaric acid and its sodium and potassium salts. In a chronic study in rats, no indication for carcinogenicity of monosodium l(+)‐tartrate was reported at the highest dose tested (3,100 mg/kg bw per day). The available studies for maternal or developmental toxicity did not report any relevant effects; no studies for reproductive toxicity were available; however, no effects on reproductive organs were observed in the chronic toxicity study. The Panel concluded that the data on systemic availability were robust enough to derive a chemical‐specific uncertainty factor instead of the usual default uncertainty factor of 100. A total uncertainty factor of 10 was derived by applying a total interspecies uncertainty factor of 1 instead of 10, based on data showing lower internal exposure in humans compared to rats. The Panel established a group ADI for l(+)‐tartaric acid‐tartrates (E 334‐337 and E 354) of 240 mg/kg bw per day, expressed as tartaric acid, by applying the total uncertainty factor of 10 to the reference point of 3,100 mg sodium tartrate/kg bw per day, approximately to 2,440 mg tartaric acid/kg bw per day. The exposure estimates for the different population groups for the refined non‐brand‐loyal exposure scenario did not exceed the group ADI of 240 mg/kg bw per day, expressed as tartaric acid. Some recommendations were made by the Panel.

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