TERATOGENIC POTENTIAL OF FD-AND-C RED NO-3 WHEN GIVEN BY GAVAGE

FD&C Red No. 3 (erythrosine) is a commonly used food additive. As part of a series of studies on the potential fetal developmental effects o f food colors, FD&C Red No. 3 was administered by gavage to pregnant O sborne-Mendel rats at daily dose levels of 15, 30, 100, 200, 400, or 8 00 mg/kg on days 0-19 of gestation. Control animals were given distill ed water by gavage. On gestation day 20, the animals were euthanized a nd cesarean sections were performed. During the entire treatment perio d, feed consumption by the animals given 400 mg/kg doses was increased significantly; the increases in the animals given 30 or 800 mg/kg wer e of borderline significance. The only significant increase in materna l weight gain, on days 0-7 in the animals given 30 mg/kg, was consider ed a random occurrence. No dose-related changes were seen in maternal clinical findings, implantations, fetal viability, or fetal size (weig ht and length). No fetal terata were seen, and neither skeletal nor vi sceral development was affected. FD&C Red No. 3 was neither fetotoxic nor teratogenic at 800 mg/kg when given by gavage.