§ 172.860 - Fatty acids.

§ 172.860 Fatty acids.

The food additive fatty acids may be safely used in food and in the manufacture of food components in accordance with the following prescribed conditions:

(a) The food additive consists of one or any mixture of the following straight-chain monobasic carboxylic acids and their associated fatty acids manufactured from fats and oils derived from edible sources: Capric acid, caprylic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid.

(b) The food additive meets the following specifications:

(1) Unsaponifiable matter does not exceed 2 percent.

(2) It is free of chick-edema factor:

(i) As evidenced during the bioassay method for determining the chick-edema factor as prescribed in paragraph (c)(2) of this section; or

(ii) As evidenced by the absence of chromatographic peaks with a retention time relative to aldrin (RA) between 10 and 25, using the gas chromatographic-electron capture method prescribed in paragraph (c)(3) of this section. If chromatographic peaks are found with RA values between 10 and 25, the food additive shall meet the requirements of the bioassay method prescribed in paragraph (c)(2) of this section for determining chick-edema factor.

(c) For the purposes of this section:

(1) Unsaponifiable matter shall be determined by the method described in the 13th Ed. (1980) of the “Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists,” which is incorporated by reference. Copies are available from the AOAC INTERNATIONAL, 481 North Frederick Ave., suite 500, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, or available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.

(2) Chick-edema factor shall be determined by the bioassay method described in “Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists,” 13th Ed. (1980), sections 28.127-28.130, which is incorporated by reference. Copies may be obtained from the AOAC INTERNATIONAL, 481 North Frederick Ave., suite 500, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, or may be examined at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.

(3) The gas chromatographic-electron capture method for testing fatty acids for chick-edema shall be the method described in the “Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists,” Volume 50 (No. 1), pages 216-218 (1967), or the modified method using a sulfuric acid clean-up procedure, as described in the “Journal of the Association of the Official Analytical Chemists,” Volume 51 (No. 2), pages 489-490 (1968), which are incorporated by reference. See paragraph (c)(2) of this section for availability of these references.

(d) It is used or intended for use as follows:

(1) In foods as a lubricant, binder, and as a defoaming agent in accordance with good manufacturing practice.

(2) As a component in the manufacture of other food-grade additives.

(e) To assure safe use of the additive, the label and labeling of the additive and any premix thereof shall bear, in addition to the other information required by the act, the following:

(1) The common or usual name of the acid or acids contained therein.

(2) The words “food grade,” in juxtaposition with and equally as prominent as the name of the acid.

[42 FR 14491, Mar. 15, 1977, as amended at 47 FR 11837, Mar. 19, 1982; 49 FR 10105, Mar. 19, 1984; 54 FR 24897, June 12, 1989]