Gao 2011: Effect of Food Azo Dye Tartrazine on Learning and Memory Functions in Mice and Rats, and the Possible Mechanisms Involved

Gao, Li, Shen, Yin, An, Jin.  Journal of Food Science. 76(6): T125-T129.

Middle and high Tartrazine (Yellow 5) doses produced learning and memory deficits.

Doses are equivalent to 40 and 80 mg/kg for humans, which is far above the ADI.

NOTE: It may be a typo, but the ADI level that they list for Tartrazine is 75 mg/kg, while the dosages they gave the animals corresponds, they say, to 80 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg. But the Japanese ADI is 7.5 mg/kg – not 75 — so the question is: Did they just miss the decimal? Did they mean they gave the animals 8.0 mg/kg and 4.0 mg/kg?  Or are they giving 10 times the ADI on purpose?

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