Erucic acid is the trivial name of the fatty acid cis-13-docosenoic acid and occurs at high concentrations mainly in the seeds of species of the Brassicaceae (e.g. rape seed or mustard seed). The European Commission requested EFSA to deliver a scientific opinion on the risks for animal and human health related to the presence of erucic acid in feed and food. For most humans, the main contributor to dietary exposure to erucic acid was the food group ‘Fine bakery wares’. In ‘Infants’, ‘Food for infants and small children’ was the main contributor to exposure. The heart is the principal target organ for toxic effects after exposure. Myocardial lipidosis was identified as the critical effect for chronic exposure to erucic acid. This effect is reversible and transient during prolonged exposure. A tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 7 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day for erucic acid was established, based on a no observed adverse effect level of 0.7 g/kg bw per day for lipidosis in young rats and newborn piglets. Mean chronic exposure of the different groups of the population did not exceed the TDI. The 95th percentile dietary exposure level was highest in infants and other children, ranging from 1.3 to 7.4 mg/kg bw per day; the higher level being at the level of the TDI. This may indicate a risk for young individuals with high erucic acid exposure. In pigs, levels of erucic acid are unlikely to represent a health concern. However, for poultry, the small margin between the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) and the estimated exposure may indicate a health risk where maximum inclusion rates are applied. Due to the absence of adequate data, the risk for ruminants, horses, fish and rabbits could not be assessed.

https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4593

Erucic acid in feed and food

The physiopathological effects were studied of a common high erucic acid rapeseed oil as well as of Janpol, a low erucic acid oil produced of a rapeseed variety selected in Poland. Its erucic acid content equals 2.8% of total fatty acids. The studies were carried out on white male Wistar rats, 25 days old at the beginning of experiment. These animals were divided into 6 groups fed the diets in which 10 or 20% of kcal well supplied either by high erucic acid rapeseed oil, by Janpol rapeseed oil, or by the sunflower oil. The experiment lasted 6 months. Following parameters were determined: increase in body weight, the weight of selected organs, blood serum alkaline phosphatase and pseudocholinesterase activities, blood serum cholesterol and triglycerides level, the content of corticosterone in the adrenal glands and blood plasma. The liver was studied histochemically for the activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases and of ATP-ase, as well as for the presence of lipids. Morphological studies of the myocardium comprised macroscopic, histological and electron microscopic investigation. The low erucic acid rapeseed oil Janpol seems to evoke less disturbances than the high erucic acid one. Supplied in the amount corresponding to 10% of total calories intake the former exerts the effect on the biochemical and morphological parameters similar to that of sunflower oil. It can be thus assumed that the low erucic acid rapeseed oil Janpol can be used in the feeding of man when served in the amount lower than 10% of total calories.

Budzynska-Topolowska J

Papers

Researches on the physiopathologic effects of rapeseed oil with high and low erucic acid content