Re-evaluation of glycerol (E 422) as a Food additive

xThe study "Re-evaluation of glycerol (E 422) as a food additive" conducted by Mortensen et al. in 2017, evaluated the acute exposure of glycerol (E 422) as a food additive in various food categories. The study calculated acute exposure by combining a high concentration of glycerol with the consumed amount of the food category per individual and meal. They considered the maximum usage data or the 95th percentile (P95) of the analytical data and usage levels.

The key findings of the study are:

1. Flavored drinks: The study found that the mean and P95 acute exposure levels for infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly are 178.0 mg/kg body weight (bw), 331.3 mg/kg bw, 135.2 mg/kg bw, 254.0 mg/kg bw, 91.0 mg/kg bw, 224.1 mg/kg bw, 66.8 mg/kg bw, 155.5 mg/kg bw, 51.7 mg/kg bw, 120.0 mg/kg bw, 34.6 mg/kg bw, and 80.4 mg/kg bw, respectively.
2. Desserts excluding certain products: The study found that the mean and P95 acute exposure levels for infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly are 0.3 mg/kg bw, 1.7 mg/kg bw, <0.01 mg/kg bw, <0.01 mg/kg bw, <0.01 mg/kg bw, <0.01 mg/kg bw, 0.1 mg/kg bw, and <0.01 mg/kg bw for each age group, respectively.
3. Fruit and vegetable juices: The study found that the mean and P95 acute exposure levels for infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly are 5.1 mg/kg bw, 11.6 mg/kg bw, 5.5 mg/kg bw, 14.2 mg/kg bw, 5.2 mg/kg bw, 11.8 mg/kg bw, 4.3 mg/kg bw, 10.2 mg/kg bw, 2.5 mg/kg bw, 5.9 mg/kg bw, 2.0 mg/kg bw, and 3.9 mg/kg bw, respectively.
4. Fruit nectars and similar products: The study found that the mean and P95 acute exposure levels for infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly are 7.3 mg/kg bw, 13.5 mg/kg bw, 3.9 mg/kg bw, 7.6 mg/kg bw, 5.6 mg/kg bw, 21.6 mg/kg bw, 2.2 mg/kg bw, and 5.2 mg/kg bw for each age group, respectively.

Overall, the study found that the acute exposure levels of glycerol (E 422) as a food additive were within safe limits for all age groups and food categories evaluated.

Mortensen, a. Re‐evaluation of Glycerol (E 422) as a food additive. EFSa Journal 15 no. 3 (2017) https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4720