In Utero Phase Carcinogenicity Testing

Early experimentation with transplacental exposure (1940s) demonstrated that expression of lung tumors in mice was enhanced when urethane was given during development in utero. In 1970, a U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expert panel on the safety evaluation of food additives and pesticides met and recommended that an in utero exposure phase be added to carcinogenicity testing (U.S. FDA, 1 971). An analysis was conducted of studies in the open scientific literature, in food additive studies available in FDA files and in studies performed by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). While exposure to rodents during only the adult phase provided qualitatively similar results, early neonatal exposure typically provided slightly higher incidences of turnors, and decreased latency to turn or onset in certain scientific studies. In a series of studies recently performed by the NIEHS with three known animal carcinogens, neonatal or adult exposure produced similar tumors in similar tissues. The food additive saccharin, which shows bladder tumors, and eugenol reliably produced tumors only with neonatal exposure. Implieations for carcinogenicity testing of food additives are discussed in light of these experi-mental findings.

Download Full-text

Safety Evaluation and Management of Food Additives by FAO/WHO

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.726-731.812 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 726-731 ◽

pp. 812-815

Author(s):

Bo Xu

Keyword(s):

Food Additives ◽

Safety Evaluation ◽

Food Additive ◽

International Standards ◽

World Food ◽

Food Control ◽

Extensive Evaluation ◽

Food Standards ◽

Supervision And Management ◽

The World

Safety and management of additives used in food have become important issues of public and administrative concern. The most important thing to say is that the use of food additives should be controlled by law. An extensive evaluation on the safety of new additives must be carried out before they are allowed to use in food. This paper discusses the safety evaluation and management system for food additives adopted by the FAO/WHO Codex committees, introduces the internationally standards, guidelines, codes and recommendations established by the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme with the purpose of protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the world food trade. The conclusion is that these international standards and codes have become the global reference for national food control agencies in performing their food additive supervision and management responsibilities on behalf of the consumers.

Download Full-text

Susceptible stages and abnormal morphogenesis in the developing mouse limb, analysed in organ culture after transplacental exposure to vitamin A (retinoic acid)

Development ◽

10.1242/dev.31.3.721 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 721-734

Author(s):

D. M. Kochhar ◽

M. B. Aydelotte

Keyword(s):

Retinoic Acid ◽

Organ Culture ◽

In Utero ◽

In Utero Exposure ◽

Teratogenic Effects ◽

Limb Buds ◽

Transplacental Exposure ◽

Mouse Limb ◽

Limb Malformations ◽

Control Limb

The development of form and morphology of cartilage in limbs from control and retinoic acid-treated DBA/2J mice were studied in organ culture. Somite number at explantation (SE) ranged from 29 to 56. All cartilage segments except digits developed in cultures of 29-somite control limb-buds; digits developed well only from limb-buds of SE 45 and older stages. Maternal treatment with retinoic acid specifically inhibited the growth of limbs rather than that of the whole embryo; the percentage reduction in limb length in culture ranged between 20 and 40%, depending on the length of in utero exposure. The teratogenic effects of retinoic acid were expressed in culture even if the limb was explanted after only 1 h of in utero exposure. However, for a complete expression of the teratogenic effects, resulting in phocomelia, 24 h exposure was necessary. Limb-buds of 29 to 32-somite embryos were only mildly responsive to the teratogen. Embryos with 33–38 somites demonstrated the full extent of teratogenic effects. Embryos with more than 40 somites at the time of first exposure to retinoic acid escaped severe limb malformations except digital defects. Correlation between the developmental stage of the limb at the time of treatment and the final limb defect is attempted.

Download Full-text

Safety and Management of Food Additives in the United States

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.781-784.1328 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 781-784 ◽

pp. 1328-1331

Author(s):

Bo Xu

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Food Industry ◽

Food Additives ◽

Safety Evaluation ◽

The United States ◽

Food Additive ◽

Food Control ◽

Food Management ◽

Supervision And Management ◽

The Government

Food safety is an important issue related to the government regulatory authorities, food industry and food consumers. And the increasing use of food additives has become a matter of public and administrative concern, so an extensive safety evaluation on food additives must be carried out and the use of the additives in food should be controlled by law. In the United States, the Congress has entrusted the FDA with the responsibility to ensure that new additives to be used in foods and the foods the consumers purchase are safe. This paper discusses the supervision and management system of food additives in the United States. The conclusion is that FDA has developed a scientifically rigorous, sound and dependable system to assure the safety of food, thus a new food additive must be approved by FDA before it can be used in food. Management of food additives in the United States is also a helpful reference for government food control agencies in other countries.

Download Full-text