Author(s)

Kazuaki Wakita, Haruyoshi Kuwabara, Noriko Furusho, Chiye Tatebe, Kyoko Sato, Hiroshi Akiyama

Division of Food Additives, National Institute of Health Sciences, Tokyo, Japan.
Oleo & Specialty Chemicals Research Laboratory, NOF Corporation, Kawasaki-shi, Japan.
Quality Assurance Department, Gunma Complex, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd., Annaka-shi, Japan.

We investigated the hydroxyl and saponification values of 27 samples of Polysorbate 60 products that were commercially available worldwide. We observed that the values of most of the studied samples were not within the range established at the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), while they did agree with the specifications described in the USA, the EU and Japan. We believe that purities of the new commercial Polysorbate 60 samples are higher than those of the older products which were available when the JECFA specifications were discussed (around 1973). The present study suggests that the hydroxyl and saponification values of the current JECFA specifications for Polysorbate 60 should be re-evaluated.

Polysorbate 60; Polyoxyethylene Sorbitan Monostearate; Hydroxyl Value; Saponification Value; Emulsifier; Specification

K. Wakita, H. Kuwabara, N. Furusho, C. Tatebe, K. Sato and H. Akiyama, "A Comparative Study of the Hydroxyl and Saponification Values of Polysorbate 60 in International Food Additive Specifications," American Journal of Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 5 No. 3, 2014, pp. 199-204. doi: 10.4236/ajac.2014.53024.