Re‐evaluation of polydextrose (E 1200) as a food additive

Abstract

This opinion deals with the re‐evaluation of polydextrose (E 1200) when used as a food additive. The Panel followed the conceptual framework for the risk assessment of certain additives and considered that: adequate exposure estimates were available; the margin of safety (MOS)/margin of exposure (MOE) for arsenic was between 0.5‐14 and 8.5 for lead; the exhaustions of the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for cadmium would be 165%, 10% for mercury, whereas the exhaustion of the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for nickel would be 9%; the absorption is limited and part of polydextrose is fermented in the large intestine into short‐chain fatty acids (SCFA); adequate toxicity data were available; there is no concern with respect to genotoxicity; no adverse effects were reported in subchronic studies in rats, dogs or monkeys nor in chronic or carcinogenicity studies in mice and rats at the highest doses tested of up 12,500 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day and 15,000 mg/kg bw per day, respectively; the nephrocalcinosis in dogs given high doses of polydextrose was considered to be a treatment‐related but a secondary effect related to diarrhoea, and hence not relevant for the risk assessment; no adverse effects were reported in reproductive or developmental toxicity studies in rats administered up to 10,000 mg polydextrose/kg bw per day, or in a developmental toxicity study in rabbits up to 1,818 mg/kg bw per day (the highest dose tested). Therefore, the Panel concluded that there is no need for numerical acceptable daily intake (ADI) for polydextrose (E 1200), and that there is no safety concern for the reported uses and use levels of polydextrose as a food additive. The Panel recommended that European Commission considers to lower the maximum limit for lead and to introduce limits for arsenic, cadmium and mercury in the EU specifications for polydextrose (E 1200), and to verify that polydextrose‐N as a food additive (E 1200) is no longer marketed in the EU.

Analysis of Caloric and Noncaloric Sweeteners Present in Dairy Products Aimed at the School Market and Their Possible Effects on Health

“…This sweetener is used in a wide range of baked products, confectionery, and beverages, since it provides texture and volume to food and has a low caloric value (1 kcal/g) and prebiotic properties [ 44 , 45 ]. Currently, the limit of consumption of polydextrose is not specified [ 46 ].…”

“…Additionally, sweeteners have a property known as sweetening power. This quality is defined as "the grams (g) of sucrose that must be dissolved in water to obtain a liquid with the same taste as the solution of 1 g of sweetener in the same volume" [8] (p. 46).…”

A Poly-D-Mannose Synthesized by a One-Pot Method Exhibits Anti-Biofilm, Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Properties In Vitro

“…The synthesis of poly-D-mannose followed the preparation method of polydextrose [ 24 , 25 ]. In detail, 30 g D-mannose was mixed with 0.9 g solid citric acid, and then reacted in a 1 L glass flask for 30 min at 155 °C, 120 rpm, and −0.1 Mpa for the polymerization of D-mannose monomer.…”

The Influence of Prebiotics on Wheat Flour, Dough, and Bread Properties; Resistant Starch, Polydextrose, and Inulin

“…Resistant starch and inulin are examples of potential prebiotics that fulfill this criterion which can also change the farinography and extensography characteristics of dough [ 18 , 23 , 24 ]. Polydextrose is a type of carbohydrate that is used as a prebiotic and also used as a sweetener and to improve the texture of food products [ 25 , 26 ]. The impacts of this compound have not been extensively studied in bread or other similar products.…”