Lack of carcinogenicity of gardenia blue colour given chronically in the diet to F344 rats

The carcinogenicity of gardenia blue colour was examined in Fischer 344 (F344) rats. Groups of 50 males and 50 females were given the material at dietary doses of 0 (control), 2.5 or 5% for 104 weeks and then sacrificed. The doses were selected on the basis of results from a 13-week subchronic toxicity study. A slight increase in relative organ weights of the left lung was observed in male rats of the 5% group. However, no significant differences between the control and treated groups were noted with regard to clinical signs, mortality and haematological findings. A variety of tumours developed in all groups, including the controls, but all were histologically similar to those known to occur spontaneously in F344 rats, and no statistically significant increase in the incidence of any type of neoplastic lesion was found for either sex in the treated groups. Thus, it was concluded that, under the present experimental conditions, gardenia blue colour is not carcinogenic in F344 rats.