Nomination Summary for Carrageenan (N20130)
Nominated Substances: Carrageenan
Nomination Date: 07/30/2001
Nominator: Private Individual
Rationale: Carrageenan, a seaweed extract, is a widely used food additive that has been associated with the induction and promotion of intestinal neoplasms and ulcerations in animal experiments. Degraded carrageenan has been listed as a Class 2B substance by the IARC, included in the National Research Council listing of carcinogens, and designated by the Carcinogenic Potency Database with a reported TD50 of 2310 mg/kb body weight/day. It would be useful to consider production of free radicals and upregulation of known oncogenes following exposure to carrageenan.
NTP Principles: not specified