Propylene Glycol is a colorless, odorless liquid approved by the FDA as a direct food additive for use as a preservative in food and tobacco products. It is also used as a solvent in pharmaceuticals.
Propylene glycol (C3H8O2) is a 3-carbon compound derived from propylene, a by-product of gasoline manufacture. It contains two hydroxyl (OH-) groups, located on carbons 1 and 2. Propylene glycol is manufactured by treating propylene with chlorinated water to form the chlorohydrin, which is then converted to the glycol by treatment with sodium carbonate solution. Propylene glycol is also prepared by heating glycerol with sodium hydroxide and distilling the mixture. [Source]
Propylene Glycol is metabolized in the human body into pyruvic acid (a normal part of the glucose-metabolism process, readily converted to energy), acetic acid (handled by ethanol-metabolism), lactic acid (a normal acid generally abundant during digestion), and propionaldehyde (a potentially hazardous substance) [Source].
In 1973, a Select Committee on GRAS Substances (SCOGS) review found that high doses (6 g per kg) could cause kidney damage in several species, but they found no evidence to suggest that levels currently used in food products, or that might reasonably be expected in future, would pose a health risk [Source]. Since toxicity is said to occur only with extremely high rates of exposure, consuming food products with Propylene Glycol may not pose a serious health risk. Propylene Glycol is currently on the list of ingredients Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA.
Posted May 06, 2014
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