INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME ON CHEMICAL SAFETY

    WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION



    TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME
    FOOD COLOURS, EMULSIFIERS, STABILIZERS,
    ANTI-CAKING AGENTS AND CERTAIN
    OTHER SUBSTANCES



    FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 
    No. 46A WHO/FOOD ADD/70.36




    The content of this document is the result of the deliberations of the
    Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives which met in Rome,
    27 May - 4 June 19691





    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

    World Health Organization



                   
    1 Thirteenth report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
    Additives, FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, in press;
    Wld Hlth Org. techn.  Rep. Ser., in press.


    QUINOLINE YELLOW

    Biological Data 

    Biochemical aspects

    No data available.

    Acute toxicity

                                                                     

    Animal   Route             LD50               Reference
                           mg/kg body weight
                                                                     

    Rat      oral              2000               Lu & Lavallée, 1964
                                                                     

    In guinea-pigs it was found that this colour had no sensitization
    activity (Bär & Griepentrog, 1960). Cats received daily doses of 0.1
    g/kg colour for seven days. No increase in Heinz bodies in the blood
    of the test animals was noted (Oettel et al., 1965).

    Special Studies 

    This colour was tested for mutagenic effect in a concentration of 0.5
    and 1.0 g/100 ml in cultures of Escherichia coli. No mutagenic
    effect was found (Lück & Rickerl, 1960).

    Short-term studies

    Rat. Groups of five male and five female rats were fed diets
    containing 0., 0.25 per cent., 0.5 per cent., 1.0 per cent., 2.0 per
    cent. and 5.0 per cent. for 90 days. No effect on body weight, food
    intake, blood cell counts and organ weights were observed (Hansen et
    al., 1960).

    Ten male and 10 female rats were given a total of 55 subcutaneous
    injections of 1 ml of two per cent. aqueous solution over a period of
    seven months, then observed until death. No local tumours developed
    and total tumour incidence was less than in control groups given
    similar injections of glucose or salt solution (Oettel et al., 1965).

    Long-term studies

    Rat. Groups of 20 male and 20 female rats or more were fed diets
    containing 0 and one per cent. of the colour for two years. A similar
    test group was formed from the first filial generation and was fed at
    one per cent. level for a similar period of time. No effect of the
    diet was noted in the test groups and gross and microscopic
    examination of the animals disclosed no changes attributable to the
    test diet. There was no significant difference in tumour incidence
    between the groups (Oettel et al., 1965).

    Comments

    Biochemical information is absent but an adequate long-term study is
    available in the rat. No other species has been studied.

    Level causing no toxicological effect in the rat

    One per cent, (= 10 000 ppm) in the diet equivalent to 500 mg/kg body
    weight/day.

    Estimate of acceptable daily intake for man

                                       mg/kg body weight

    Temporary acceptance                    0 - 1

    Further work required by June 1974

    Metabolic studies in several species preferably including man and a
    two year study in a non-rodent mammalian species.

    REFERENCES

    Bär, F. & Griepentrog, F. (1960) Med. u. Ernähr, 1, 99

    Hansen, W. H, Wilson, D. C. & Fitzhugh, O. C. (1960) Fed. Proc., 19,
    390

    Lu, F. C. & Lavallée, A. (1964) Canad. pharm  J., 97, 30

    Lück, H. &  Rickerl, E. (1960) Z. Lebensm.-Untersuch., 112, 157

    Oettel, H, et al. (1965) Arch. für Toxikol., 21, 9
    

    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations
       Quinoline yellow (WHO Food Additives Series 6)
       Quinoline Yellow (WHO Food Additives Series 8)
       Quinoline yellow (WHO Food Additives Series 13)
       Quinoline yellow (WHO Food Additives Series 19)
       QUINOLINE YELLOW (JECFA Evaluation)